Teach Me, Senpai
by stephfarrow94
Summary: The first thing Fran had learnt in his short life was that people couldn't be trusted. However, after arriving at the Varia House for Orphans, he soon meets Bel, the resident psycho who seems to have it out for him. B26, yaoi
1. Chapter 1

Tsunayoshi Sawada was barely nineteen years old when he had come to work at the Varia House for Orphans, an orphanage where strays with serious problems were sent. Some of the children had behavioural issues while others had mental illnesses, but he couldn't say he didn't enjoy working there, even if he were sometimes uncomfortable with the situations he was put in.

Lambo Bolvino was the newest addition, a five-year-old boy who had an overactive imagination and too much energy for his small body. His messy black hair was untamed, tangled and sticking out all over the place. It didn't help with the fact that Lambo had a habit of putting things into his hair – especially lollipops and other sweets.

Tsuna wasn't too sure why Lambo was an orphan, only that he had been transferred here, his energy reserves too much to be handled back at the previous orphanage. While it was true the boy often tired him out, too, he enjoyed the entertainment Lambo brought to his life.

"Loser Tsuna, Loser Tsuna!" Aforementioned boy was now running through the house, his mischievous nature showing.

Tsuna frowned as he chased after Lambo, trying to retrieve the hairbrush the kid had stolen from him. He knew the untidy boy was only playing, not meaning any harm by his actions, but sometimes the brunet wished Lambo could behave himself.

"Catch me if you can, Loser Tsuna!"

"Oi, Lambo!" The gangly young man stumbled as he ran through the hall after the younger, his high-pitched voice almost pleading by this point; he needed to get back to the dining room and make sure everyone was okay with their breakfast. "Lambo, wait up!"

Tsuna didn't get very far through the hall before a door off to the side opened and a large hand reached out, grabbing him by the cuff of his jacket's collar. Stopping in his tracks, he looked up with wide eyes, sure he was about to be killed by the man who ran the orphanage, Xanxus. It was no secret Xanxus liked alcohol – maybe just a little too much – and it often lead to him having violent fits of rage at his staff members.

Sawada gulped as he was released, almost too afraid to speak; while he usually got along with his co-workers, Xanxus was someone who always made him nervous.

"Get in here," Xanxus' gruff voice growled as he opened the door wider, introducing the smaller male into his darkened room. "We have a new kid."

Tsuna blinked before he nodded, entering quickly; he knew better than to anger Xanxus.

When the door was closed behind him quickly, Tsuna looked around, noticing a small boy sitting by the desk with his back his elders. The brunet smiled before he approached the slight child, wondering what this one's story was.

Kneeling beside the desk, Tsuna put on his most welcoming expression, his soft smile conveying his demeanour. "Hello. What's your name?"

The boy didn't answer, but teal eyes looked up into Tsuna's brown ones. His hair was short, green like his eyes that were now profiling the older male curiously.

Xanxus stepped behind Tsuna, answering for the boy. "His name is Fran. He's quiet most of the time. Just a youngling; he's almost ten."

The boy – Fran – still did not speak, his eyes lingering on Tsuna as if he were wary of the other's intentions. He didn't recoil when the brunet reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder despite the fact he didn't care much for physical contact.

"Everyone else is having breakfast," the brown-haired male explained. Fran wasn't sure of his name, and it only made him more reserved. "Would you like to join them?"

Fran didn't feel hungry. In fact, he didn't feel anything. For as long as he could remember, he had always felt numb, void of any emotion and uncaring of the world around him. He stood up as he was manoeuvred to do so, following the brunet through the halls.

The building he was in seemed small, the hallways branching off every now and then. At the end of the passage, Fran was guided into a larger room, a dining table pushed into the middle of the still-crowded room. Off to the side was a food preparation area that was barely bigger than a walk-in closet.

The boy could see several other people situated around the rectangular table, and they all looked much older than him. He inwardly sighed; the older someone was, the more they usually didn't like him.

Tsuna's hands were still on the boy's shoulders as he guided him over to the table carefully. He couldn't sense any discomfort from the younger, making him hope Fran would get along with the others.

"Everyone," the brunet called as he pulled a chair out next to a grey-haired boy, "this is Fran. He's new so everyone make him feel welcome."

Fran glanced down at his lap, the silence making him uncomfortable. He could feel several sets of eyes on him and it wasn't until a few minutes later did they leave him alone.

Looking up, the teal-haired orphan noticed only four other people around him; the grey-haired male he had been placed beside, and two dark-haired, older looking children with hair that spiked towards the back. There was a girl and a boy in that duo, and Tsuna sat next to them, crunching away at cereal slowly as he kept an observant eye on the others.

No words were spoken until the other three children ate their food and silently left the room, leaving Fran and Tsuna alone. Tsuna smiled at the boy before he, too, stood up and left, needing to attend to other duties.

Fran sighed as he shoved the white cereal bowl away from him. He knew he wasn't going to like it here – not one bit.


	2. Chapter 2

**The other characters will be introduced separately instead of all being squished in together.**

By the time dinner rolled by, Fran had found sitting in a corner of what he thought was the living room to be a good pass of time. He hadn't seen anyone else enter the small room, and the little TV perched on a stand in the opposite corner had been left on.

Fran didn't pay any attention to the TV, letting the sound it produced wash over him as he remained lost in his thoughts. So far he hadn't seen anyone else other than the kids he had eaten breakfast with and the two adults who had been talking to him. He wondered who else lived in the house; every other orphanage he had been to had an abundance of kids and staff. Should this one be any different?

The sunlight that had been filtering through the curtained windows disappeared, replaced by the moon's beams. Soon enough, the only source of illumination came from the TV.

It was getting cold in the room, but Fran didn't care; he didn't want to move from where he was - he was quite content in his corner. Just when heavy eyelids slid closed, the boy on the verge of sleep, the opening of the living room door startled him back into reality.

The teal-eyed boy glanced towards the doorway, finding a messy-haired blond with a tiara tilted to the side grinning at him. The boy didn't look any older sixteen.

"Shishishishi..."

Fran blinked at the other, unsure of if that was supposed to be a laugh of some kind. Just looking at the blond peaked his interest, something that never happened.

"So you're the new peasant? Xanxus told the prince to find you and tell you it's time for dinner."

Fran spoke his first words in days at that moment. His tone was thick with sarcasm as he stared blankly at the taller boy. "Don't you mean _fake _prince?"

Though the self-proclaimed prince's eyes were hidden behind unruly locks of blond, the smirk was quickly wiped from his face as he took a step forward, reaching into his pocket to withdraw a small, oddly shaped knife.

Fran just stared at the object in his elder's hand, no emotion running through him. "You shouldn't run with knives. You might hurt yourself."

The blond's mouth twisted into a smirk as he spoke, slowly and carefully, "The only one who'll get hurt is _you_."

Large green eyes blinked at the blond a few times before their owner spoke again. "Am I supposed to be scared?"

"Stupid peasant." The blond's anger had risen enough for him to raise his hand, fully intent on pushing the knife as deep as possible into the teal-haired kid.

"Oh, there you are, Fran."

The two kids stopped and looked up at the unexpected voice. Tsuna was standing behind the blond, his brown eyes focused on Fran. A soft smile adorned his face as he stepped past the older child.

"Dinner's ready," Tsuna explained as he reached out to take Fran's hand. "We sent Bel to find you but he took so long, we thought you were hiding from us all."

The blond boy still standing in the doorway quickly sheathed his knife back in his pocket, almost as if he knew the repercussions of having it out. He watched as Tsuna grabbed the boy's hand, pulling the expressionless child to his feet.

The worker turned around to face the blond, his eyes soft as he spoke. He gestured towards the messy-haired boy as he turned to speak to Fran. "This is Belphagor, but you can call him Bel. He'll also be sharing his room with you."

The boy's – Bel, Fran had learnt – mouth dropped open before he turned to presumably glare at the burnet. "I will _not _share a room with a _peasant!"_

"I'm sorry, Bel," Sawada explained, "but this was not my decision; Xanxus said the other rooms are crowding and because you're the only one not sharing a room, we decided to let him bunk with you."

"The prince should turn you into a cactus..." Belphagor muttered before he turned to walk out of the room, mumbling out under his breath.

Fran watched Bel leave, his gaze emotionless. When the boy was out of sight, he looked up at Tsuna, his silence returning. He was a quiet kid, and he only spoke if he knew he could be a sarcastic smartass to someone. Annoying people had always been his favourite thing to do, after all.

_**~~That night~~**_

Fran had met most of the other residents at the dinner table, but that didn't mean he was interested in any of them; the small plate of food he had been given was more appealing than the others, even if he barely touched the serving.

Teal eyes stared out of the window across from him, looking into the black sky that threatened to rain. He watched the trees sway outside with the strengthening wind, his attention focusing solely on their movements.

Fran was so absorbed he didn't notice as the people at the dining table slowly disappeared off to do their own things, leaving him alone with Belphagor, who was currently violently stabbing the meat on his plate with a maniacal grin on his face.

The younger boy's attention slowly drifted over to the blond, watching this act. He blinked a few times but he didn't speak, too curious to do so.

Bel paid no attention to his observer, instead ripping his meat apart savagely. The little bits he placed in his mouth, he chewed slowly as the clock on the wall behind him ticked away with each passing second.

Neither boy spoke until someone walked into the dining room, their white tresses hanging down the front of their chest. It was a male, and he was wearing a frown as he observed the two. His eyebrows quickly narrowed as he opened his mouth.

"Voiiii!"

Fran blinked at the man's shout while Bel only grinned up at him. He watched as the new intruder moved to stand behind Bel and he couldn't help but smirk as he watched the older boy get back-handed across the head.

"What the hell are you still doing up, brat?" The male bared his teeth threateningly as he raised his hand, holding it above Belphagor. "You should have left for bed ages ago!"

Slipping a hand into his pocket, Bel pulled the knife he had hidden out and pointed it at the male, his lips curling into a grin. "I'll make you bleed, Squalo."

The white-haired male who Fran had figured was Squalo grabbed Bel by the wrist and twisted his arm seconds before he pulled the knife out of the orphan's hand.

"Weren't you told to leave knives alone, you little shit?!" Squalo roared. "I'll get Xanxus to check your room again!"

Bel frowned before he stood up from his seat and stormed out of the room, a loud bang sounding seconds after his retreat.

Fran looked at Squalo, tilting his head slightly; he couldn't quite work out what had just happened; all he knew was that he was sharing a home with a freak.

_**~~With Bel~~**_

The blond had kicked back on his bed after leaving the dining room angrily, furious that the last knife he had been able to hide had been taken. His room was dark, the only light shining through the slight part in the closed curtains, and he couldn't say he was happy about this; total darkness made him uneasy.

The only sounds he could hear was the occasional car passing by in the street across from Bel, or the soft thud of possessions falling to the hardwood floor from one of the other rooms around him.

The boy didn't close his eyes, not willing to sleep; not now when he was so worked up – he didn't want the nightmares to come to him again tonight.

When a loud knock sounded on Bel's door, the blond growled before he rolled onto his side, his back to the door; he knew exactly who was there. "Go away!"

The visitor didn't listen, instead turning the knob and opening the rickety door. Xanxus stuck his head inside, his dark eyes narrowed as he addressed the younger. "Room check, you trash. Squalo told me you've been hiding knives again."

"Shishishi..." Bel just laughed before he shrugged, his back still to his elder. He didn't acknowledge the other any further, just remained staring at the wall in front of him.

Xanxus slipped his hand into the room, flicking the light-switch. He smirked as he heard Bel hiss at the sudden brightness and stepped in through the doorway, prepared to turn the room upside-down to make sure Bel wasn't hiding anymore knives.

Bel laid carelessly on his bed as he listened to the man rummage around in his room. He knew he was a messy person, clothes laying everywhere amongst empty food containers and other random items, and it irked him to know Xanxus would probably tidy up a bit while he was here.

The blond didn't move until he was forcibly pushed off the bed, the black-haired male pulling his blankets and pillowcases off the bed in order to search for hidden objects.

When at last Xanxus deemed the boy safe enough after no forbidden weapons turned up, he growled at Bel as he gestured towards the door. "Fran is spending the night with you. Make room for him, trash."

Bel growled at these words, rolling onto his side from his position on the floor beside his bed. He glared through his long bangs at the teal-haired boy standing in the doorway, silently daring him to so much as _step _into the room.

Xanxus was quick to leave after shoving Fran into the room and closing the door behind him. Fran glanced down at Bel, his expression blank as he stared at his elder.

"What are _you _looking at, _peasant?" _Bel spat as he pushed himself onto his feet. He climbed into the tangle of blankets that was his bed before he turned back to his 'guest', pointing at the ground. "The prince doesn't care where you sleep as long as it's on the floor."

With that said, Bel forced himself back into a sleep, leaving Fran to find somewhere to sleep in the mess of a room. Amongst the clothing and many other things scattered across the ground, barely any floor could be seen.

With a sigh, Fran gathered up some of the clothes, creating his own little nest to curl up in. It was better than what he was used to sleeping on, after all; _nothing. _

Fran couldn't help but find it difficult to fall asleep, the uncertainty of the unknowns this place ensured slowly swallowing his being.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is a long chapter and mostly in Fran's point of view. It introduces a bit more of the characters, adds some development and kick-starts the plot towards the end. **

Fran awoke the next morning to someone knocking on the closed bedroom door. His eyes opened slowly, having almost forgotten where he was, before he wondered if he should get up and answer the door; would his meant-to-be roommate appreciate it?

The boy's unspoken question was soon answered by Bel groaning loudly before shouting out, "Get lost, peasant!"

The reply slipped through the door in a soft, calm voice, almost as if they weren't fazed by Bel in the least. "If you don't get up, you and Fran are going to miss out on breakfast and games."

_Games? _Fran thought. _The other orphanages never played _games – _at least not cruel ones_. _We were lucky if we even got attention paid to us..._

The blond growled as he rolled onto his side, staring at the door. "The only game the prince wants to play is target practise with you as the target, Mukuro."

_Mukuro? _Fran knew he had heard that name before. _...I think that's one of the kids I was eating breakfast with. I think he was sitting with a girl named Chrome..._

"Kufufu..." The door opened, revealing the same purple-haired boy Fran had first met. His hair was spiked at the back, reminding the teal-haired kid of a pineapple. He wore a dark shirt with a green jacket, and his jeans were a dark blue. He spoke to Bel before he turned to Fran, heterochromatic eyes focused on the boy. "Have it your way. Are you going to join us, little one?"

Fran shivered under the taller boy's gaze; Mukuro was a frightening enough person as it was, and those eyes made him more uneasy than he should have been.

Nodding just in an attempt to get the purple-haired male away from him, Fran had no intention of joining the 'game'. Instead, he had decided he would find somewhere secluded to sit, not wanting to socialise with anyone.

Mukuro left after the confirmation, leaving Bel and Fran alone together. Bel was curled back up with his blankets around him like a cocoon, no sign he was about to get up any time soon.

With a sigh, Fran got to his feet and left the room slowly, hoping not to run into anyone. He was glad when he had arrived here it had been without anything, so he was still wearing the clothes he had worn yesterday, having had no opportunity to change for bed.

The upstairs hallways squeaked under his steps, making Fran wonder just how old this place was; it wasn't in the best condition and looked as if it had actually been abandoned for a time. The walls were dirty and damaged while the doors were rickety and looked moth-eaten. The windows were unclean and the entire house seemed to have several layers of dust wherever he went.

When the boy descended the staircase to the first floor, he came to the hallway that led from the front door to the living area. He couldn't sense anyone else about, so he figured he would hide out in the living room corner again; if he was lucky no one would come in like last night.

For a bit over ten minutes, Fran had been alone, but when he heard the front door open and an unfamiliar voice call out for him, he couldn't help but wince; did that mean someone was going to come looking for him? What if they found his hiding spot? Would they look there every time if he was found? What if he couldn't find another hiding spot?

"Darling, you almost got left behind."

Fran sighed inwardly as a large shadow fell over him; so much for hiding away. He looked up to see who was blocking the light, and he was rather surprised to see a strange looking man. The man's hair was brown with a part of a green on one side. He wore sunglasses that blocked his eyes, and the trenchcoat he had on was layered with orange fur around the hood.

Teal eyes stared blankly at the man before Fran spoke, his voice emotionless. Unable to recall a name for him, he addressed the older male by the first thing to come to his head. "Hello, perverted peacock drag queen."

The 'peacock' opened his mouth in surprise as he raised his hands to grasp at his cheeks. He then reached out dramatically to grasp at Fran's shirt as if he were pleading the other to rethink his opinion. "Dear, please do not call me such things! My name is Lussuria and I'm the cook here!"

Fran's body quivered slightly before he pulled away from Lussuria, not wanting the other to be so close to him; having been raised in a home with parents far too unfit to have even _had _a child, Fran had learnt to fear his personal space being intruded upon – the only emotion he seemed capable of feeling.

Lussuria, as much as he wanted to, knew better than to engulf this little boy in a tight hug; though no personal details had been given to him by Xanxus or Squalo, he knew Fran had come out of a very bad home, only to be bounced around orphanages that didn't know how to handle him.

This was one of the reasons Lussuria loved being with the Varia House; they were willing to take in damaged children in hopes of rehabilitating them to live normal lives. Sadly, Fran was by far one of the best-behaved kids that had been in through this door.

"Sweetie, I'm going to go make sure Bel is up and ready, so please go outside and find a seat on the bus," Lussuria said gently as he moved to hurry up the stairs.

Fran couldn't help but wonder why getting on a bus was necessary; he was quite happy staying where he was. He was unsure of whether he could get away with hiding somewhere in the house, but he quickly decided against it; these people were strangers, and just because they hadn't hurt him yet didn't mean they wouldn't if given the chance.

The teal-haired boy didn't want to cause any trouble so soon during his stay – it wasn't like he'd be here for long anyway, right? Best to make a good impression for his remaining stay – so, getting to his feet, he cautiously made his way over to the front door, his face void of any emotion; if he truly felt anything other than the anxiety he usually felt, he didn't know how to show it.

The front door squeaked loudly as he opened it and, for the first time since his arrival, he took notice of his surroundings; there were other houses along this street, but the closest ones looked vacant. The front lawn was neatly trimmed and the flowerbed that lay against the white weatherboard wall flourished. The steps leading down from the veranda were cement and lead on to the walkway in the middle of the lawn, heading out to the mailbox at the end. There were shutters on the windows and, all-in-all, the house gave that feel as if it had seen better days.

There was a minibus parked in the driveway by the side of the house, and Fran could see Xanxus sitting in the driver's seat with Squalo as his passenger. As far as Fran could tell, all the kids who lived in the home were seated on the bus.

Mustering all the strength he had, Fran made his way to the bus. He ignored the glares the two adults gave him for making them all wait and instead went to find a seat where he could be by himself. The bus was only small, so the best he could do was sit in empty seats behind two rowdy boys, one with silver hair and the other with grey.

Fran didn't pay any attention to the people around him, putting his chin into his hand as he stared out of the window. He was vaguely aware of Bel finally getting onto the bus, kicking up a fuss as he cussed Lussuria out for making him go, but the blond took his own seat on the other side of the bus.

The bus ride felt as if it had taken forever, but Fran couldn't have been happier when it finally stopped in a parking lot adjacent to what he could make out to be a large park with a forest behind it. It looked secluded, which meant there would be no unnecessary socialising.

The bus emptied quickly of its passengers, the two boys Fran had been sitting behind shouting at each other loudly until Xanxus and Squalo pulled them away from each other. As they were being spoken to for their behaviour, Fran could make their names out to be Hayato and Ryohei.

Two cars pulled up within the next few minutes, one consisting of Tsuna and a dark-haired male Fran hadn't seen before. The second one to arrive was a police car with two other unfamiliar people riding in it.

Fran unconsciously stepped away as the newcomers approached their group, overwhelmed by so many unexpected people. Glancing around him, he could see Xanxus and Squalo talking to them, so it reassured him that at least those two knew who they were.

"Tenth!"

Fran blinked as Hayato ran to Tsuna's side, his green eyes wide as his mouth twisted into a huge smile. His hands were clasped together as if he were honoured to be so close to the brunet.

"Tenth! You came!"

Tsuna smiled as greeted the boy happily. "Hello, Gokudera."

"Yo!"

Hayato's happy expression was soon replaced by a scowl as he glared at the dark-haired male. He moved forward, shoving said man away from the brunet angrily as he growled, "You're too close to the Tenth!"

The man laughed heartily as he ruffled silver-hair, his happy smile showing no sign of offense to Hayato's words.

Fran wondered about them; why did Hayato seem so happy to be with Tsuna? And why did he refer to the older male as the Tenth? And these strangers? What was with them? Who the _hell _was he _living with?_

The small group of kids slowly dispersed as most of them headed off towards the park, doing their own things. It was eventually just Hayato, Bel and Fran still standing by the adults, and the young boy couldn't work out why the blond would stay here when the taller male clearly didn't like the ones he lived with.

Fran's unspoken question was soon answered as Bel turned around to leave, but was quickly stilled by a stern voice from behind him.

"Don't even think about it, herbivore."

Fran blinked at the peculiar choice of words. He understood they came from the raven-haired man dressed in a police uniform, but it still left the question as to what Bel had done wrong.

Bel growled as he folded his arms across his chest, turning to – presumably – glare at his elders. "You can't tell the prince what to do!"

"Don't give me lip or I'll bite you to death," the cop threatened, his voice as cold as ice.

The blond man that was standing with the cop placed his hands on the smaller boy's shoulders in what Fran was sure was an attempt to calm his friend down. "Now, now, Kyouya; he's just a boy."

Tsuna glanced down at Fran and saw the slight confusion the boy's narrowed eyebrows suggested. He then realised he hadn't met the three newcomers before and it was probably making him nervous.

Kneeling down so that he was level with the young boy, Tsuna put on his most comforting smile as he gestured to the other adults. His hand waved at the tall raven-haired male standing beside him first.

"This is my close friend, Yamamoto," the brunet explained. "He volunteers to do sporting days with the kids. And this is Dino and Hibari. Hibari comes out to keep an eye on things and make sure no one gets into trouble."

Fran noticed the topic of why Dino was there was avoided, the conversation instead turned to gathering the kids together.

Squalo was the first to speak once everyone was together, his voice loud as he ordered the kids around. "Everyone who's playing had better get their fucking asses over onto the field! Bel, you're still on the bench from beating those brats up last time we were here!"

"Ushishishi," Bel laughed, his voice carrying towards the adults as he made his way over to the bench sitting by a small rest area. "They shouldn't have bothered the prince!"

Fran's teal eyes watched the older boy clamber into the rest area, the uncomfortable feeling of being misplaced consuming him; he didn't feel like he belonged here with these other kids, like he deserved to be treated well compared to the other orphans he had stayed with – to be treated as if he was someone the adults cared about, even if Squalo and Xanxus shouted and swore at them all.

Only to further heighten these emotions, Tsuna squeezed the confused boy's shoulder gently before he spoke, "If you want to play baseball with the others, just follow everyone else. Otherwise you can sit on the bench with Bel, okay?"

Fran's reply was to turn around and follow Bel to the rest area, not wanting to associate himself in something like a 'game'. From what he was used to, it would most likely involve pain – _a lot _of pain.

It was because of the prominent violence in his short life Fran had learnt to tolerate pain, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it; if there was the chance, he would rather avoid it.

While Bel had claimed the very edge of the bench, trying to put as much distance between Fran and himself as possible, he didn't count on Hibari following them, his very presence pushing the teal-haired boy to his side.

Bel narrowed his hidden eyes at the small boy, slapping the hand away that came to grab his striped shirt. "Don't touch the prince, peasant."

Fran's eyes widened for a split second before he calmly pulled his hand back to his own person, his voice emotionless as he spoke. "I wouldn't want to catch your pathetic attitude, _Prince-Self-Appointed._

Bel bit down on his lip before he balled his hand into a fist. He was quick as he raised it, aiming straight at the boy's face. He smirked triumphantly when it made contact and he couldn't help but laugh as small specks of blood showed on his knuckles once he pulled away.

Fran raised a hand to his face, holding his bloodied lip. His eyes showed no emotion as the cop behind him quickly moved to Bel's side, grabbing the blond's hand before anything else could happen.

The teal-haired child spoke softly, though inside he was anxious; this was how a lot of the abuse he had been raised with had started. "I'm going to tell the long-haired dumbass on you. He'll give me permission to kill you."

"Why, you little –" Bel couldn't finish his sentence as Hibari was quick to force him to his feet. "What are you doing? Don't touch me."

"Your lack of manners gets to me." Dark eyes narrowed as a deadly aura surrounded Hibari. "I don't know how they put up with you."

The two older boys glared at each other until Bel was the first to give in, going back to his seat and looking away. Fran sat and watched them as blood dribbled down his hand, flowing steadily from his lip. He didn't care, nor did he move to mend the injury.

It seemed no one else had taken notice of the little fight as everyone else was absorbed in the game of baseball they were playing. Fran wasn't too sure of how the game worked, having never played it before, but it looked like the man he remembered as Dino was holding something he thought was a bat, while Tsuna was standing in front of him about to throw a ball.

Fran wasn't too sure what the point of this was but, once the ball was thrown and it connected with the bat, he felt as if not only the ball but the bat as well was heading straight for them as Dino lay slumped on the ground, looking as if he had tripped over air.

Teal eyes watched as the two objects sailed to his side before a loud crunch sounded beside him, a thump finishing off the sound effects. He blinked and looked down, finding Hibari hanging backwards off the bench, holding his face in a similar manner as to how Fran had been earlier. It seemed obvious to the boy his elder had been hit in the face and knocked off the bench from the impact and, if Bel's hysteric laughing was anything to judge by, the blond found it hilarious.

Dino came running over to their aid, his eyes wide as he repeatedly called out for the cop. "Kyouya, Kyouya! Kyouya, I'm so – oomph!"

Fran couldn't believe what he was seeing; Dino had, once again, hit the ground just before them. When the adult got back to his feet and crawled to Hibari's side, it took only one glance into those anger-filled black orbs to realise he was in trouble.

Gulping in sudden terror, Dino got to his feet and ran in the opposite direction he had come from, stumbling every now and then while a furious Hibari chased after him.

While everyone's attention was focused on the two, Fran took this opportunity to slip away, wanting some time to be by himself – if he was lucky, everyone would forget he existed and leave without him.

Though no one else seemed to notice, Bel was intrigued by the younger's actions. Since he had first laid eyes on the younger, he had felt an overwhelming curiosity about Fran. He wanted to know why the boy was the way he was, what provoked him to be such a sarcastic smartass and, most of all, why the teal-haired kid didn't seem to be scared of him at all like everyone else.

Getting to his feet, Bel was careful to sneak off after Fran while everyone's attention was diverted. He couldn't help but think Fran was a smart kid to disappear into the small forest bordering on the edge of the park; if anyone noticed they were missing, it wouldn't be because they were visible amongst the trees.


	4. Chapter 4

Belphagor was curious as to why the little boy was heading so deep into the wooded area; was Fran really that antisocial? Was he running away? What was he doing?

The blond's lips twisted into a sick grin as the thought that perhaps Fran wanted to play target practise with him crossed his mind; he would love to pin the younger to a tree with knives, hear the ocean-green child cry out in pain as blood dribbled to the ground beneath them...

Bel bit back a soft moan as he felt his pants tighten at the images running through his mind. Shaking his head, he tried not to think too much on it; he didn't want to have to give up his pursuit in order to take care of his needs.

Fran was quick as he weaved through the trees and thick underbrush, almost as if he had done this many times before – and Bel was too proud to admit he was having trouble keeping up with him.

_What is he doing? _Bel thought to himself as he clambered over a fallen log, trying to keep his presence hidden from the teal-haired child. _Is he going anywhere in particular? Why is he here in the first place? _

The teenager knew there was a river not far from here, and he briefly wondered if Fran was heading for that. If he was right, what would the boy achieve by going there? Was he going to drown himself?

"Ushishishi..." Bel couldn't help but laugh as he imagined the little child floating face-down in the river. He felt his nether-regions reacting to the thought once again but he ignored the feeling – there was no need to do anything about it now. "Stupid peasant..."

As expected, when the faint sounds of running water became audible to the two boys, Fran's attention was instantly grabbed if the instant cocking of a small head was anything to go by. The child looked off into the direction the sounds were coming from for a few seconds before he changed course, heading towards it.

Bel followed, intrigued by the boy's manner of thinking; what had lead him out here in the first place and then towards the sounds of running water?

It took only a minute or two for Fran to stumble across the river, and Bel watched as he almost immediately jumped into the shallowness of the cold stream, splashing around happily as he jumped from exposed island to exposed island like he was some sort of frog trying to cross to the other side.

Bel grinned at this analogy; he had a frog back at the Varia House name Mammon. Maybe when they got back there, he would put Mammon onto Fran's head and see how the younger reacted; it would be a funny sight if the emotionless boy didn't like frogs.

The blond teen was hidden behind a large tree growing on the bank of the stream, watching as a small smile slipped onto Fran's face as he played in the river. The sight of water dripping from the pale body made the dull throbbing in his groin ache even further.

Biting back a hiss, Bel trained his eyes onto the boy as he ghosted his hand over the crotch of his pants, unable to resist any further. He moaned softly as he groped himself through the thick material, unable to understand why he was feeling the way he was – Xanxus and Squalo had told him he was very unstable mentally, though it wasn't his fault, and that he had different reactions to things than others because of the instability.

Closing his eyes slowly, Bel played the image of Fran on his knees, his mouth dangerously close to his hardened member, through his mind. He groaned as he slipped his hand into his pants, taking hold of himself. He couldn't help it; he was so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear the footsteps behind him, and the hand that grabbed his shoulder startled him out of his activity.

Turning to glare at the people who had intruded upon his personal time, Bel came face-to-face with Dino and Hibari, the blond blushing as he looked anywhere but at the child while Hibari glared back, his dark orbs glinting dangerously.

"Do you have any idea of the worry you've put the others through?" Hibari hissed as he pulled on the black jacket Bel was wearing, forcing the younger to his feet. "Why would you disappear for _this?_"

Bel ignored the question and instead pointed out the swelling, accompanied by a forming bruise, around Hibari's eye, a sure result from where he had been hit by the baseball. "Ushishishi, looks like the boyfriend won't get any for the next week now, not with hurting your face!"

Hibari's hold tightened as he growled, restrained only by Dino putting his hands up in defence as he tried to diffuse the situation. "Now, now, Kyouya, Bel is only young and it wouldn't do to hurt him! Maybe you should walk him back to the others while I get Fran. Okay?"

Dark eyes narrowed at Dino before Hibari nodded, his teeth clenched. "I'll bite you to death when we get home, Cavallone."

Dino nervously rubbed the back of his head before he hurried away towards the river, not wanting to risk his safety by staying with the riled-up younger; he knew Hibari well enough to know the raven needed time to calm down from the stress of today's events – being hit with a baseball wasn't the only stressor the younger had gone through today.

Grass and sticks crunched under the blond's feet as Dino approached the river, watching as the boy played in the river happily, oblivious to the older male's presence. It was only when he tripped over a tree root and collapsed onto the ground, letting a loud grunt out, did Fran notice.

Turning around on the small island he was standing on, Fran blinked his teal-coloured eyes at the male, surprised by his presence; why had the man come after him? Did Dino want to hurt him now that they were alone? Or had he been worried about his disappearance and came looking for him? Was it a good or a bad thing Dino was here?

Dino got back to his feet, noticing the younger's gaze on him. He smiled as he approached slowly, knowing he had to be slow in his movements lest he cause unrest between them; not knowing this boy's background made it difficult to judge in what actions were accepted and not accepted.

"It's okay, Fran," Dino explained as he took a step forward, his hands out in front of him as if he was reaching for something to hold on to. It was the first time the ocean-green-haired boy noticed the male's odd accent, as if Japanese wasn't his first language. "The others were getting worried when they noticed you weren't with them, so I came out to try and find you and make sure you were safe."

Fran frowned, unable to believe these words; did the man truly expect him to believe such obvious lies? His safety had never been an issue to others before – they were the ones always hurting him. Why should things change now after so many years of pain?

Moving backwards, Fran shook his head. His first instinct was to run, to get away from this male who only wanted to hurt him, so why was he having trouble moving his legs?

Dino grew his own frown as he noticed the uneasiness on the boy's face, wanting nothing more than to help him. "Fran, it's really okay. You can trust me."

"I don't trust _anyone." _Fran's voice was so quiet, Dino had barely heard it over the non-existent wind. It was filled with fright and, if the blond wasn't mistaken, the boy was on the verge of tears. "Leave me alone, blond idiot."

Cavallone had to admit these words hurt him – it hurt for his natural clumsiness to be used as a derogatory term against him, of course – but it hurt more to know that this little boy, barely taller than the average four year old, was so damaged he didn't want help.

"Fran..."

Dropping his gaze to his feet, Fran found the strength to move away – but this time he slipped, falling into a drop-off too deep for his frail body to try and stand in. Flailing his arms, the boy's eyes widened in fright as he struggled to keep his head above water, his lungs filling with water at a rapid pace.

Dino panicked, his first thought that he was about to watch the child drown. He wasn't aware of his feet moving of their own accord – all that mattered was he was getting closer to the kid who obviously couldn't swim.

"Fran! Fran, keep your head up!" The blond didn't even realise that, for once, he hadn't fallen or even stumbled as he was soon jumping off the island Fran had fallen from, grabbing the boy in his arms.

Dino was scared; he had scooped the boy up from under the water, the distance between them too great to get there any quicker – Fran's eyes were closed and he wasn't breathing. Making his way back to the shore he had come from, the blond quickly laid the boy down on the dirt, the worry consuming his common sense.

Checking Fran's airways, Dino was horrified to find that water filled the boy's lungs. In his worry, he did the only thing he could think to do; CPR.

The minutes that passed felt like years as the blond did his best to get Fran breathing again. The younger's skin was freezing, the water that saturated his clothing making it difficult to be careful; the wet lumps of clothing lumped together making it hard to judge where his hands were.

When at last Dino felt as if there was nothing he could do, Fran started coughing weakly, water trailing down his cheeks as he expelled the liquid he had unwillingly swallowed. His eyelids fluttered weakly as his tiny hands grasped at the dirt beneath them, his breathing ragged and uneven.

"Fran..." Dino knew he should have kept his hands to himself, but he was so relieved to know that the boy was okay; reaching out, he pulled the frail body into his arms, hugging gently as he rested his forehead on wet hair. "...Fran... You had me so worried..."

Fran felt too weak to comprehend what was going on; all he knew was someone had engulfed him in a hug – a _painless _hug. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel nervous to have someone so close to him; it was reassuring for the elder's body heat to seep through his wet clothes, bringing some warmth to his shaking body.

Slowly, small hands reached up and grasped at the brown jacket Dino wore. Closing his eyes, Fran sighed softly as he placed his head against Dino's chest, listening to the steady heartbeat. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to _cry. _He didn't want to hide his emotions and pretend everything was fine – he wanted to let everything out.

Dino held the boy close, and he could tell Fran was trying not to cry. Running a large hand through ocean-green hair, he said as gently as he could, "If you want to cry, it's okay. You can cry."

Fran fought as hard as he could to keep his tears back, but a few stray ones dripped down his cheeks. Closing his eyes, he couldn't believe he hadn't been reprimanded for showing emotion.

Dino could tell the child was cold, so carefully placing the boy onto the ground, he removed his jacket and wrapped it around the child as best he could – he would have preferred taking such wet clothing off the slight body but, having raised Hibari as a foster-child, he knew some things were better left undone.

"Let's go back," Dino whispered as he lifted Fran back up, getting to his feet. "I bet everyone is worried."

Fran didn't reply; he just clung to the man, trying to understand why Dino had been so kind with him – this was something he had _never _experienced before. Did this mean... the people at the Varia House weren't as bad as he had thought...?


	5. Chapter 5

**There is attempted sexual abuse in this chapter but nothing graphic. However, there will also be mentions of the subject later on for character history. If this upsets you send me a PM and I'll explain the characters' histories there.**

It irked Bel to know that he had been put in charge of taking care of the now-ill Fran – it wasn't _his _fault the stupid kid had gotten sick by playing in water.

Throughout the day, Lussuria and Squalo had gone into town and bought Fran his own bed, not wanting the child to sleep on the floor again during his second night's stay. They had set the bed up on the other side of Bel's room (after hours of cleaning up the blond teen's mess) and done their best to make Fran feel as at home as they could, supplying him with new furnishings and clothes.

Bel was sitting on the bedside table that had just been placed in its position not even an hour ago, a scowl crossing his face as he glared through his bangs at the sleeping boy. Fran's face was red as his mouth twisted into a frown, looking as if he were in discomfort.

The blond threw the wet rag he was holding down onto the floor, not knowing why _he _had to be the one to baby the brat. Standing up and walking over to his bed in order to stand on it, he looked into the tank sitting on the windowsill above his bed.

"Mammon..." Bel smiled to himself as he gently pulled the black frog out from its home, stroking a finger down its back. "Ushishishi, Mammon, let's have some fun together."

Glancing back at the kid that was sleeping uninvited in his room, Bel snuck ever closer until he was near enough to drop the frog on the feverish face.

Teal eyes shot open with a whimper before Fran pushed himself into a sitting position, looking dazedly around him as if searching for something in particular.

"...B-bel..." The little voice was weak as the younger addressed Bel.

Belt tutted, cutting Fran off before he could finish speaking. "You will address the prince as Bel-_senpai, _peasant."

Exhausted eyes stared at the blond for a few seconds before Fran spoke, his voice monotone. "But you're a fake prince, _Bel-senpai."_

Grinding his teeth together, Bel was about to reach out and wrap his hands around that tiny neck, but a gasp of fright soon stopped him. Raising a hidden eyebrow behind his bangs, the blond watched as Fran tried to inch himself away from the frog that had jumped onto his lap.

Bel couldn't help but laugh at the other's expression; Fran looked uncomfortable, almost as if he was frightened. "Ushishishi, what's the matter, _Froggy? _Scared?"

Through his hazy eyesight, the teal-haired boy could see the smirk on the other's face – Bel was enjoying this, wasn't he? "Don't call me 'Froggy'. My name is Fran, Fake-Prince."

Stepping forward, Bel reached out and grabbed the boy's wrists with his left hand. He held the frail arms above Fran's head, resting them on the headboard behind them. He straddled the tiny waist beneath him and leant in close enough that he could feel Fran's breath against his face. He whispered in the deadliest tone he could muster, "If you keep calling me a _fake _prince, I'll make sure you _hurt."_

Fran was scared. The older boy was so close and, no matter how much he struggled, Bel wouldn't get off him. He could feel his heart starting to race, memories of his past flashing through his mind. His breathing came in ragged gasps but Bel didn't seem to care – he only closed the distance between them by latching his mouth onto the boy's ear.

Fran yelped as teeth broke through the sensitive skin on his ear, droplets of blood dripping onto the black shirt he was wearing. Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to buck the stronger boy off him, but it was no use; Bel was too heavy to be shifted.

Bel's hidden eyes watched the stream of blood drip down the pale skin, leaving behind trails of red. He felt himself becoming aroused at a rapid pace, his pants restraining what so desperately wanted to be free. He moaned loudly as Fran's struggling caused their groins to rub together, and he couldn't help but smirk in lust when he realised his pleasured noise made the small boy freeze in horror; did he know what was going to happen?

Fran shivered as a hand caressed his cheek. His body shook as he realised he was going to be used the same way he always had. But... why...? Wasn't... Weren't the people here different...?

Closing his eyes in betrayal, Fran resigned himself to his fate; it looked like he'd never escape from the torture he had always experienced. There was no use struggling; even if he _did _get away, it would only make things more painful in the future.

Tears slipped down his cheeks as Fran heard the familiar sound of a zipper being undone. Opening his mouth obediently, he prepared himself for the unwanted intrusion, the foul taste that always left him feeling sick for hours after the act had been done.

"Ushishishi." Bel smirked as he pulled himself out of his pants, moving so he could press his hardened member against the pale cheek before him. "Does little Froggy know what's going to happen? Are you a slut? Have you done this for others before like the slut you are?"

_Slut... _Fran thought to himself sadly. It was true he had always been referred to as a slut, even by the people at the other orphanages he had been to. _...I guess I am... But Bel... I... I hate myself for having believed this, but... I thought you were different... I thought you were different..._

Bel didn't press for an answer, assuming Fran already knew the truth. Laughing to himself, he was just about to press himself into Fran's mouth but the door opening behind him stopped him.

"Voiii! Asshole, Xanxus told me to – what the fuck are you doing?!"

Bel turned around to glare at the man who had intruded upon his moment, making no attempt to cover up his actions. "Leave the prince alone with his toy, peasant."

Squalo, who had been shocked at what he had walked into, knew he shouldn't have been surprised; if they hadn't had a choice with the sudden, unexpected arrival of Fran and then said boy getting sick, they would have had time to work something out – Bel was far too unstable to be taking care of a young kid like Fran.

The white-haired gardener moved forward, pushing Bel off the scared boy before he scooped Fran up into his arms, holding the child close. Grabbing hold of blond hair as roughly as he could, Squalo dragged Bel down to his boss' office, intent on getting the brat dealt with while he sought out Tsuna to take care of Fran.

When Xanxus looked up from his desk where he had been signing documents, it took only one glance at the furious Bel and then the crying Fran to understand what had happened. He had known something like this would happen, but he hadn't expected it so soon.

Pointing to the chair in front of his desk, Xanxus scowled as he addressed Bel. "Sit down, Trash. We need to have a talk."

"I'll be back when I find Tsuna," Squalo said as means of excusing himself. He backed out of the office, knowing Xanxus was about to tear into Bel for what had happened.

Looking down at the kid in his arms, Squalo's eyes softened; Fran's arms were wrapped around his neck as if he were absolutely terrified, his face buried in the strong chest as he cried.

Keeping his voice as soft as possible – which wasn't very soft at all – Squalo tried to help. "Voii, did he hurt you?"

Fran didn't speak; he only nestled closer to the older man. He didn't move until he felt Squalo stop, and he looked up when he heard Tsuna's worried voice.

"What happened to him?"

Fran whimpered and tensed as he felt an extra set of hands on his body. He clung tighter to Squalo for a second, too scared to let go of him, but the concern in the brunet's voice had been genuine – did that mean Tsuna really _was _different from the others?

Turning to look at the young man who was now holding him to his chest, Fran could see the brown eyes that watched him were filling with tears. He blinked, unable to understand this; why would Tsuna cry over something that didn't even happen to him? No one else had ever cried over him and, if he cried over himself, it had always resulted in a punishment.

Reaching up to rub at the tears that were now trailing down Tsuna's face, Fran couldn't help but question the older boy's motives. "...Why are you crying...?"

Tsuna sniffed before he replied, nodding at the now-retreating Squalo for bringing the child to him. "...I... I feel like it's my fault this happened..."

Fran couldn't understand this at all. How was it Tsuna's fault? It was _his _fault it had happened – just like it was his fault everything _else _had happened. "...I..."

Sawada knew what Fran was thinking so, carrying the boy into the living room where he had been previously, he started explaining. "I should have been taking care of you, but I was busy with the other kids, and no one else had time on their hands. We thought it would be okay for Bel to watch over you for just a few hours until someone's schedule freed up, but... I... I'm so sorry..."

"...It wasn't your fault..." Fran whispered, too tired to pick a fight. He understand what it was like to blame yourself over every little thing, and he didn't want to do that to the brunet who seemed to like him somewhat. "...It... It was mine..."

"No, it wasn't," Tsuna said quickly. "It was _never _your fault! Don't blame yourself!"

Fran sighed but didn't argue. He closed his eyes when Tsuna walked into the living room, not wanting to know if anyone else was in there; he just wanted to be left alone with Tsuna, not in the mood to deal with anyone else. He was tired and he had had enough.

To Fran's disappointment, there were three other people in the living room; Lambo, Hayato and Takeshi. The raven-haired boy was sitting on the couch, playing with Lambo with a huge grin on his face. Hayato was sprawled on the seats next to them, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he watched the TV. Three sets of eyes looked up when Fran coughed a painful-sounding cough.

"Tenth!" Hayato sat up at the sight of the brunet, his green eyes wide as he took sight of the boy in his arms. "Tenth, what happened? Is he why Squalo was shouting?"

"Yeah..." Tsuna lowered his voice as he addressed Takeshi, wondering if Hayato should be dismissed as well. "...Yamamoto, can you please take Lambo out of the living room and find Ryohei to keep an eye on for me? Xanxus should know what's come up but if he asks, tell him to talk to Squalo, okay?"

"Sure, Tsuna." Takeshi's dark eyes drifted to Fran, concern flashing in them. As he stood up with Lambo on his shoulder, he reached out to ruffle teal hair, trying to help in his own little way. "See ya, Tsuna."

"Tenth?" Hayato knew it wasn't like Tsuna to be so worked up about something as to send others away. He wanted to help his beloved Tsuna the way he had helped him – without Tsuna, Hayato shuddered to think where he would have been. "Tenth, can I help?"

Tsuna smiled sadly, knowing how much Hayato wanted to be of use. "Sure you can. Can you please go and tell everyone I'm looking after Fran and to try and give us some space? Make sure no one bothers us, okay?"

"Of course, Tenth!" Saluting as if he had been given the most important mission in the world, Hayato took his orders seriously. He left the living room, his undying loyalty to the brunet never wavering – if he had been told to keep people away, he would fight to the death and beyond to make sure his orders were fulfilled.

Once they were alone, Tsuna started talking, knowing Fran deserved an explanation. "Fran, I know this may be hard to understand, but I don't think Bel was in his right mind when he did that."

Fran lifted his head, staring into brown eyes with his own exhausted ones. "...I... don't understand..."

Tsuna twisted his hands nervously before he started trying to clarify. "I mean... Bel was brought here a long time ago. See, he... no one believed he would get better, and they always gave up on him. When he was little... he didn't have a very nice life... Maybe you can understand this, Fran. His mother passed away in childbirth, so it was just him and his twin brother. This might be very difficult to hear so if I'm upsetting you, tell me, but... have you noticed his obsession with blood and knives?"

"Fake prince is a psycho..." Fran mumbled in his way of agreeing.

"I don't believe he was always that way, and if he had a better childhood he would have been a different boy," Tsuna said gently. "See, his twin brother was older than him, and... well, their father blamed Bel for his wife's death as she had died giving birth to him. His father would beat Bel and... and, well... he would... _touch _him in places he should never have been touched. It got to the point where Rasiel, Bel's twin, picked up on his father's hatred and started doing the same to Bel. We don't know the exact circumstances, but we do know Bel killed his brother and father. We think the abuse just got to him too much and he couldn't handle it anymore."

Fran _couldn't _feel sorry for Bel; while he himself had been touched in bad places and beaten as well, he had never tried to do the same to others or take someone else's life. Maybe Bel had been hurt, too, but that didn't give him the right to take it out on Fran when he had _nothing _to do with that. "..."

"I just want you to understand that, because of his upbringing, Bel's instability is triggered by blood. Maybe it brings everything back to the surface, but we've established that, in his own little way, Bel is trying to protect himself. He just doesn't understand how to do it or how to control himself. Maybe he's like you in the sense that he's scared as well. Maybe he's not as strong as he thinks he is and he's trying to scare every potential danger away. He doesn't tell us anything so we can only make assumptions based on what we know and have seen. And though what he did to you was _so very wrong,_ I don't know if he was truly aware of what he was doing."

Fran shifted on Tsuna's lap so that he was closer to the boy, whispering as tears started slipping down his cheeks. "...I'm scared... I hide it because I was taught to, but... what gives _him _the right to take his stuff out on me...? Haven't I been hurt enough...? Tsuna...? He's so selfish... I just wish the pain would end... I don't like living with my memories... It hurts knowing that when I just started to trust him, he... He turned out to be just like everyone else..."

"I know..." Tsuna wrapped his arms around the boy, rocking him slowly. "...I know..."

"...What did I do to be hurt like this...?" Fran's eyes slipped closed as oblivion slowly claimed him. He was vaguely aware of Tsuna whispering back to him but he couldn't make the words out as he fell asleep.

Tsuna held the boy close for a few minutes more before he stood up and carried him out of the room. He found Takeshi sitting in the dining room with Lambo, laughing as the boy ran around the room with a baseball, trying to keep it away from the young man.

Takeshi and Lambo looked up at Tsuna's entrance, waiting for the brunet to speak.

"He's sleeping," Tsuna explained at the questioning silence. "I... I don't know what to do with him, though... I'm too scared to leave him alone in case Bel gets him..."

Takeshi tapped his chin before he smiled brightly, his eyes shining. "I know Mukuro and Chrome were going to go into town today. Maybe you could let him sleep in their room and when he wakes up, they can take him to the park or something."

Tsuna smiled sadly before nodding, knowing it was a good idea; Mukuro was a responsible person and Chrome was so sweet. He was sure the two would take care of the little boy so, heading out of the dining room and up the stairs, he could only hope they were willing to take on the responsibility of Fran.

To his relief, both teens were happy to look after Fran and were patient enough to wait for him to wake up. Tsuna could only sigh in relief as he went to find Hayato, knowing the silver-haired boy would want to be back by his side like an overly-attached puppy.

Hopefully things would work out and Fran would be happy here – not just Fran, but Bel, too. All the kids who had been brought here. They all needed second chances in life – especially Bel who had been beaten and raped daily for years until he had gone insane from the abuse, seeking the only way out he could see.


	6. Chapter 6

Mukuro and Chrome didn't wait too long for the sleeping boy on their bed to wake up. It was clear Fran was disorientated from the stress, his eyes heavy with sleep as he glanced warily around. He flinched and pulled away when Mukuro approached, almost as if he was expecting a beating.

"Hello, little one," Mukuro said in his calm voice. "Good of you to wake up."

Fran looked down at his lap, his face almost immediately taking on an expressionless look. "...Hello..."

Kneeling down next to the bed, Mukuro reached out to run a hand through teal hair. His smile was as soft as ever as his heterochromatic eyes looked into Fran's. "Chrome and I are going into town and Tsuna believed it would be a good idea for you to come with us. Would you mind getting dressed into some clean clothes?"

Fran froze at the suggestion for several reasons – one; he was being asked to take his clothes off, two; getting new clothing would require him going back to Bel's room, and three; he didn't want to risk any sort of run-in with Bel if he could help it. Trying to convey his discomfort, Fran whispered, his façade gone, "Can I just wear these…?"

Chrome was next to talk, trying to help the little boy understand. She could sense his nervousness and she understood where he was coming from – though neither she nor her twin brother had suffered sexual abuse like she knew Bel and Fran had, they both had been used in horrendous experiments until they were rescued by police. She knew that, though it wouldn't be the same, it had to have hurt in similar ways to Fran's pain, right?

"Fran…" Pushing the digits of her fingers together shyly, Chrome avoided eye contact as she tried to bring comfort to the boy. "…M-maybe… if it's Bel you're afraid of… M-mukuro or myself could get your clothes for you…?"

Fran wasn't sure what to make of this; was there a plan behind her offer? Maybe while he was still in their room, they would find Bel and bring him there? Or… maybe they were just… being genuinely nice…?

Though Fran found it difficult to believe such a thing, he couldn't deny the fact that the people he had met here – besides Bel, as much as it hurt – had truly been different from everyone else; no one else had ever stepped in during his torment and instead joined in, nor did anyone ever let him cry or talk about his feelings with him.

If Fran trusted these two… what would happen?

_What have you got to lose, Fran? _The boy thought to himself as his eyes slipped close. _You have nothing. No family or friends, a place to call home – not even a single _possession. _What else can they take from you they haven't already? Everything else was alreadygone. _

As if she sensed the younger's dilemma, Chrome turned to her brother, smiling shyly. "P-perhaps you should get his clothes, Mukuro… I'll stay with him."

Mukuro nodded, knowing his sister was right; it was probably that he, as another male, was the one to leave – he could only imagine the distrust Fran had for men as a population. "I'll be right back, Fran."

Fran watched warily as the older boy left, trying to steady his racing heart. Chrome didn't seem like the kind of person who would hurt him; she seemed shy as well.

There was silence between them until Mukuro returned a few minutes later, a change of clothing slung over his arm. He handed them to Fran slowly, trying to make himself seem less threatening than he was probably already viewed as.

"Would you like for us to leave the room while you change?" Mukuro offered, backing away as he saw the fright in those wide teal orbs. He sighed inwardly when Fran nodded. It wasn't that he was offended by the younger's mistrust of them but that he was suffering inside. "Okay; we'll just be downstairs getting our money. We'll be back very soon."

Fran tilted his head as he watched the twins depart. Money? They had _money? _Since when did kids in orphanages have _money? _Never before had he heard of orphans having money.

_What am I missing…? _Fran thought to himself sadly as he unbuttoned his shirt. _…Why am I.. so surprised by the things in this place…? It's clear it's different to the other orphanages here, but… I feel so out of place… I don't belong here – I belong back where people can hurt me… It's all I'm good for, right? What use am I here…? Even _Bel _can see that, trying to put me back in my place…_

The boy was slow as he changed his clothes, the paranoia of hidden cameras making him feel as if he was going to throw up. He kept stopping to glance around him, his eyes searching desperately for the familiar glint of a lens. The fact that he couldn't find any broke the boy's heart, knowing he was different from others for the only thing he was wanted for.

"I don't understand…" Fran whispered to himself as he wiped at his wet eyes. He tried his hardest to keep his emotions in check, but the overwhelming sense of being so _unlike _the others was driving him crazy. "Why… Why do I…?"

Fran dropped the old pair of jeans he wore previously to the ground as he sat down, leaning against the end of Chrome's bed as he hugged his knees to his chest. He buried his face against his knees, his tiny body quivering as he fought against his tears.

The door opened slowly before Mukuro's hesitant voice answered, almost as if he was wary of walking in on a half-dressed Fran. "Are you dressed, little one?"

When he got no reply, Mukuro bit his lip and poked his head around the door. His stomach dropped when he saw the way Fran was sitting, knowing something had happened. Turning to Chrome, he whispered for her to wait outside while he approached the boy.

"Did something happen?"Mukuro asked as he sat next to the little boy.

Fran shook his head, biting down on his lip as he turned tear-filled eyes to heterochromatic ones. "…It… It's because _nothing _happened…"

The purple-haired teen couldn't understand what Fran meant, but he didn't have to ask; Fran continued speaking.

"…Why… do you not… have cameras in your room…?"

Mukuro's mouth opened in a silent gasp as he understood what was being said. Reaching out to place his hands as gently on frail shoulders as he could, he kept his voice low as he replied. "People filmed you, didn't they…?"

Fran nodded, his voice becoming monotone as if speaking seriously on the topic was too hard for him. "…They always had cameras in my room… They made me… watch myself…"

Mukuro closed his eyes at this information. He wanted to pull the younger into a hug, but he knew it was probably too much for the distressed child. "I understand…"

"…I can still feel their hands on my body…"Fran whispered. "…I hate it… I feel so dirty…"

"…May I ask…?"Mukuro's voice was gentler than it had been in a long time towards anyone other than Chrome. "…What did they do to you…?"

"They always touched me… down _there… _and used my mouth… They hurt me… And hated me and used me…"

Mukuro hummed softly as he wrapped an arm around Fran's shoulders. "I'm sorry, little one. I won't ask anymore. Let's go now, okay? I'll buy you an ice cream."

Fran blinked at these words. "…Did… you say… ice cream…?"

Mukuro noticed the disbelief and confusion in Fran's voice; had he never had ice cream before? Or even offered some? He nodded, hoping the boy would believe him. "Chrome and I always get ice cream."

Fran smiled softly, trust and excitement soon overpowering his negative thoughts – Mukuro seemed so kind already, such a vast contrast to the kind of people who was used to.

Mukuro smiled back, hoping he had gotten through to Fran. He turned around to walk out of the room, knowing Fran would follow, but he was stopped by a tug on the hem of his shirt. Looking down, he noticed Fran's tiny hand wrapped in his shirt, looking uncertainly up at the boy.

"What is it?"Mukuro asked, kneeling before the boy. He blinked when the little boy slipped his hand into his, but he soon understood what Fran wanted; the child wanted to hold hands. "Kufufu. I see. Let's go, then. We'll get some ice cream first. Do you have anywhere in particular you want to go?"

Fran shook his head, smiling softly. He had always wondered what it felt like to have someone hold his hand and, now that he was finally experiencing it, he had to admit it was so very comforting, a warmth so unlike the one that caused him pain engulfing his hand.

The teal-haired boy didn't know how to convey it aloud, but he didn't care where he went as long as he could keep his hand in Mukuro's. Unbeknownst to him, Mukuro was content with the physical contact too, feeling as if he was able to protect someone the way no one had wanted to protect him or Chrome when they were younger.

_**~~With Bel~~ **_

Laying on his bed with Mammon on his chest, Bel glared up at the wall as if it was the cause for all his misery. He had finally been let out of Xanxus' office after hours of being yelled at, and he was glad to be by himself; he didn't know how much longer he could keep his sanity in this fucking place. He wanted to leave, to go somewhere he wouldn't have to deal with _anyone, _but he knew if he tried to do that, the police would take him straight to juvenile.

"I hate it here so fucking much, Mammon…" Bel whispered to his frog. "I fucking hate it… I want to leave already…! It's no place for a prince here! And that stupid kid… It's all _his _fault! It's clear Squalo and Xanxus are playing favourites with him! And I bet I know why… It's because _he _wasn't _raped and beaten! _Mammon, it's not the _prince's _fault his family hated him… I didn't ask for this…! I just… I just didn't want _them _to hurt me anymore… I wanted it to stop… It hurt so much… But then… that _stupid _kid comes, and he… He's _so special _because he only got the joys of giving blowjobs… He doesn't understand what it's like to have _everything _taken from you by your fucking _family…! _He's so fucking lucky to have been left his virginity, and he doesn't even appreciate how lucky he is… I hate it here and I hate _him, _Mammon…"

With a sigh, Bel reached up to wipe at his eyes before he placed his frog on the bedside table, rolling onto his side. He closed his eyes and pulled the blankets over his skinny body, hoping for sleep to claim him so he didn't have to think any longer – though he'd never admit it to _anyone, _not even himself, he was _jealous _of Fran and he'd give anything to have been in his position – maybe his life wouldn't have been perfect, but he would still have his _dignity. _


	7. Chapter 7

"How do you get money…?" Fran found himself asking Mukuro as he stood at the back of the ice cream shop with the older boy while Chrome ordered their treats.

"Lussuria pays us for working," Rokudo explained calmly. When he saw the boy's eyes widen, he could only imagine how his words had been misconstrued. Reaching out to pet teal hair, he clarified, "If we help clean the house or do the gardening with Squalo, we get rewarded. It's nothing bad."

Fran relaxed the body that had unconsciously tensed. "…Oh…"

"Let's go get a table, okay? Chrome will be with us in a moment."

Fran quickly reached out, joining his hand with the bigger one. He followed closely behind Mukuro, glancing emotionlessly at the people around them. Mukuro knew the boy didn't want to show it, but he was probably wary of their intentions.

Getting a table in the corner of the ice cream parlour, Fran pushed himself close beside the older boy on the double-seat, leaving Chrome to sit across the table on the single chair. It was quiet for a few seconds before Fran glanced up at Mukuro's face, fidgeting in his seat.

Mukuro looked down at the boy, tilting his head slightly. "Are you okay, little one?"

Fran nodded, forcing his emotionless expression to stay the same. "I'm… trying to understand…"

"Hmm?" Mukuro smiled gently. "What is there to understand – if I may ask?"

"…" Fran bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to convey his thoughts. "…You and Chrome are so nice to me… A-and so are the others… But why is Bel just like everyone else…?"

Mukuro couldn't help but feel angry at Bel for treating the boy the way he had, but he knew the circumstances surrounding his personality. "What Bel did was wrong, but he can't help it. That's why he's here. Xanxus and Squalo took him in because of his history. I believe you are familiar with it now?"

"Yes…"

"Bel hurts, just like the rest of us who came to the Varia. He just… shows it in different ways."

"Does that mean you and Chrome hurt, too?"

Mukuro nodded. "Very much so."

"…" Fran looked down at his lap as he saw Chrome approaching, three cones of ice cream in her pale hands. "…Is it bad that… I feel like… I can trust you…?"

Mukuro reached out, putting his own hand on top of Fran's. "Not at all. It just means you feel safe with me, and I'm glad for that."

"…What if I… I think I'm feeling more than just… being scared all the time…?"

"Then that's a good thing. No one wants to go through life always scared."

"…Will I be in trouble…?" The fear in Fran's voice was evident in this sentence.

"For what? Being human? Fran, if anyone ever taught you any differently, they are disgusting filth. It's _okay _to have emotions and to _show _them."

A single tear dripped down Fran's cheek at these words. He nodded, humming softly to himself as he accepted the chocolate ice cream Chrome handed to him.

"Are you okay, Fran?" Chrome asked, her voice softer than Fran had heard it before.

"He's okay, Chrome," Mukuro said as he accepted his own treat from his sister. "We were just talking."

"A-ah." Chrome understood, and she didn't pry. She sat down across from the two boys, a small smile on her face as she ate the dairy product.

There was silence between the three for a few minutes until Chrome noticed Fran hadn't touched his ice cream. "Do you not like it, Fran?"

Fran blinked before he looked up, his teal eyes brimming with tears. His voice was choked as he explained, "…N-no one's ever given me an ice cream before…"

Mukuro was the next to speak. "That's because you were with _animals _before. We're your friends, so of course we're going to give you an ice cream."

Fran sniffed before he nodded, a muffled 'Thank you...' just audible.

Chrome and Mukuro smiled at the boy before they returned to their treats, watching from the corner of their eyes as Fran took a tentative lick before smiling happily. They could see the boy's shoulders slowly relaxing with each lick, his eyes shining brighter.

Minutes passed in comfortable silence before the grey skies opened, pelting the earth with heavy rain as thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.

Fran seemed oblivious to this as he continued licking up the last of his now-melted treat, his eyes focused on the sticky chocolate. He didn't pay attention to anything around him until Mukuro's hands rested on his shoulders, pulling him from his imagination.

"We should hurry and get home before the storm gets worse," Mukuro said.

Fran frowned and looked at his half-eaten treat. He sighed before he reluctantly placed it down on the napkin it had come in, ready to leave – he was really enjoying that ice cream and he wasn't ready to part with such a delicious treat.

Chrome frowned, feeling her heart tug at her chest as she saw the dejection on the boy's face. She picked the cone back up, holding it out to Fran as she explained, "Just because we're leaving the store doesn't mean you can't bring it back to Varia."

Fran's eyes lit up at these words. He accepted the cone that was handed back to him with a tenderness that Chrome _knew _showed just how wary the boy was towards others – it was as if he could barely believe he was being handed something and expected it to be snatched away just before he could grab it.

"…" Fran looked down at his ragged shoes as he felt his fingertips graze the cone. "…T-thank you…"

"That's okay, Fran." Fran really liked Chrome; she was such a nice person. "Let's get going."

Mukuro hummed in agreement as he shrugged his green jacket off his body before handing it to the boy. He smiled when Fran looked up at him in confusion. "It's cold and wet outside, and you're sick." The purple-haired boy knelt down as he wrapped the clothing around Fran's fragile body. "We have to keep you warm or else you'll get sicker."

Fran's tiny hand reached up to grip at the jacket, his eyes wide and confused, unable to understand such kindness. His wary eyes studied the two carefully as he grasped his ice cream cone tightly.

The teal-haired boy noticed for the first time that the twins were both wearing parts of a school uniform. The jacket Mukuro wore over his casual clothes was a uniform piece, and Chrome's skirt and jacket were, too. Did they go to school?

As the three left the parlour, Fran spoke. "Do you go to school, Mukuro?"

"Kufufu…" Mukuro chuckled before he answered. "Chrome and I go for a few days a week. Some of the other kids go to school as well, but none of us go for the full week."

"Have you ever been to school?" Chrome asked.

Fran shook his head. "Never. …What is it like?"

"It's… interesting, kufufu."

Fran nodded, trying to imagine what this 'school' thing could be like. He was sure there were lots of people in a school, but he didn't know much else.

The boy yawned widely before he slumped against Mukuro. "I'm tired…"

Chrome was quick to act, picking Fran up in her arms as she carried him the rest of the way. It took only a minute for him to fall asleep, his head resting against Chrome's chest.

"He's cute." Chrome smiled up at her brother. The older teen nodded in agreement.

**~~Varia~~ **

Bel was just about asleep before a hand started shaking him gently. He groaned and pulled his pillow over his head, mumbling that he wanted to sleep.

"Bel, it's time for dinner," Tsuna explained. "Come on. You have to eat."

"The prince isn't hungry…"

"Bel…" Tsuna knew the blond well enough to know that something was bothering Bel – Bel_ never _turned down food. "Bel, if you need to talk…"

"I'm fine…" Bel sighed before he pushed himself into a sitting position, looking at Tsuna with tired eyes. "Leave the prince alone."

Tsuna was worried, knowing Bel was very unstable – he almost _feared _leaving the blond alone, knowing that anything could happen. "Bel, come down and eat, please…"

Bel ignored Tsuna's comment and instead raised his hands in order to look at them. His hidden eyes closed fearfully as he started rubbing his hands against his striped shirt, as if he was trying to scrub clean something Tsuna couldn't see.

The brunet had seen this before – Bel was losing it. He had to do something before the blond snapped and started hurting himself.

Reaching out, Tsuna – as gently as he could possibly be – grabbed frail wrists, pulling them away from Bel. "What's hurting you, Bel?"

"The blood… The blood…" Bel whimpered as he tried to tug his wrists free. "There's so much blood…"

"Bel, you're not _there _anymore…" Tsuna knew what was happening; Bel was reliving the time he had killed his only surviving family. "Bel, you're here at the Varia. Listen to me."

"There's blood all over me…" Bel's body started shaking in fear. "What have I done…? I just wanted them to stop… I wanted them to stop… Stop… Stop…! _Stop touching me! Let me go!"_

Tsuna released pale wrists as he pulled Bel's body against his, pinning the younger's arms against his side. "Bel, it's okay. It's okay. It's Tsuna. _Tsuna. _No one's going to hurt you."

"_Get off me! I don't want this!"_

Bel's screams of panic grew louder, struggling with all the strength he could muster to be free. Tsuna had to restrain him, lest the boy's hallucination grow out of control. The blond was seeing his father, his twin brother, hurting him in ways no one could ever want, the blood – both his and that of his family's – all over his naked body as two corpses lay before him.

Hearing a small whimper from the doorway behind them, Tsuna turned his head. He could see Fran staring into the room with wide eyes, Mukuro's school jacket hanging over his frail body.

"Fran, it's okay," Tsuna called. The screaming must have woken the boy up – when Mukuro and Chrome had returned, they had taken Fran back to their room to sleep. "I need you to go find Xanxus or Squalo. It's important."

Fran nodded, hurrying to find the two adults – staring at Bel's terrified form, he knew that was how he himself had looked so many times. Seeing him like that… though he would never forgive the teen for what he had tried to force him into… he knew what it was like to be lost and scared.

_Maybe… _Fran thought to himself as he walked down the stairwell, _...maybe I should help... I have Mukuro and Chrome… I have _friends _now… But Bel doesn't have any… _

After running into Squalo down the hall and explaining what he had seen, Fran knew he had to do _something _after seeing the concern cross Squalo's face before the man ran up the stairs. He could still hear Bel's screaming and, when he walked into the dining room to see everyone with their heads down as if they didn't want to hear it, he understood Bel had _nobody_. No one his own age wanted to help – it was left up to the adults who couldn't relate to him.

Pushing away the plate Fran hadn't even _glanced _at, he made his way back up the stairs, hoping he could be of some use to the distressed teenager.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N This chapter contains flashbacks of trauma topics such as sexual abuse and death. If any of this upsets you, you're welcome to skip the flashback which is marked in italics. **

Fran sat uncomfortably on Mukuro's bed as Tsuna stepped into the room, his brown eyes soft as he surveyed the boy.

The teal-haired kid fidgeted before he spoke, his voice soft. "...Is Bel-senpai okay now...?"

Tsuna nodded. "He's sleeping. Squalo will sit with him for the rest of the night. Have you eaten your dinner?"

Fran shook his head. "Not hungry..."

The brunet didn't want to force the kid to eat, but Fran was as thin as a rake. Surely if his eating habits were left unattended, he would become sick. "What if I find you something small to nibble on?"

The boy shook his head again, repeating what he had just said. His voice sounded flat, but Tsuna could pick up the undertones of annoyance. "Not hungry."

Sawada sighed before he nodded. "Okay. Fran, I usually go home before dinner but I've had to stay because of Bel's... _attack. _I'm going to go home now, so if you need anything, you'll need to go to Xanxus. Mukuro and Chrome are downstairs watching the TV, so if you'd rather sleep in their room, you'll need to talk to them. Otherwise Squalo will be sitting in your room so nothing will happen if you'd rather sleep in your own bed."

Fran closed his eyes, wishing Tsuna would stop talking; he only wanted to know if Bel was okay – not about anything else. "You talk too much, Tuna."

Tsuna's eyes widened at these words – did that kid just call him _Tuna...? _ The kid hardly spoke to anyone and now he's started being bratty...

"..." Not knowing how to rebut this, Tsuna instead turned around and left the room, checking on the other kids before he left for good.

Fran instead curled up on Mukuro's bed for a few minutes, deep in thought about Bel, before he decided to go back to his own room. Maybe if he was in his own bed and was pretending to sleep, he would be able to hear what was happening with Bel and work out how he could help.

Standing up, the teal-haired kid moved to his bedroom, walking down the hallway before he turned left into his own room. He pushed the door open slowly, taking note of a small nightlight in the corner of the room, illuminating Bel's sleeping face. Squalo sat in a corner on a chair, his arms crossed against his chest as he stared out of the window.

"I'm going to bed." Fran didn't wait for Squalo to reply before he crossed to his side of the room.

Squalo just nodded, only half of his attention on Fran. He was too busy worrying about Bel to care much about what Fran had to say; as much as he would deny it, he was quite fond of the blond self-proclaimed prince, and he hated when Bel's trauma became apparent.

Fran curled up under his blankets, his back to Squalo and Bel. He was listening carefully, hoping for someone to speak, but it was silent for what felt like forever.

Just when Fran had given up on hearing anything and closed his eyes, he heard a frightened mumble from Bel. Tensing unconsciously, he listened.

"No..." Bel moaned, the sound of a body tossing and turning in bed accompanying his voice. "...Stop it... I... It hurts...!"

"Bel, it's just a dream." Squalo was speaking now, but Fran couldn't see what he was doing. "Relax. It's okay."

"It hurts! F-father... N-no more...!"

At these words, Fran wondered if he and Bel were truly similar; what he had been forced to do hadn't hurt – it was just uncomfortable and hard to breathe – but the blond had clearly suffered more than he had. Could he really help...?

Turning around to look at Bel, Fran saw Squalo sitting on the bed beside the blond, wiping at Bel's forehead.

"Bel, it's just a dream," the gardener repeated. "You're safe here. You're safe."

From the shine of the nightlight, Fran could see tears trailing down Bel's face, staining the white material of the pillow beneath his head.

As the thought of getting out of bed to approach Bel crossed his mind, Fran froze up, too frightened to leave the bed; what if he tried to help but Bel didn't appreciate it? What if he tried to use his mouth again...? What if Squalo wouldn't allow it?

Fran closed his eyes, knowing he couldn't be of use tonight. He laid back down, pulling the blankets over his head as he tried to block out the sound of Bel crying. However, even in his dreams he was haunted by those agonised sounds, his stomach churning at the knowledge that Bel had suffered more than he.

_**~~Bel~~**_

_Bel was trapped in memories, his dreams that of things that had truly happened. His tiny eight-year-old body thrashed beneath his father's large one, his hands pushing at the equally naked chest as he cried hysterically. _

"_Stop it, Father!" Bel screamed, feeling his twin brother crawling onto the bed beside him. "It hurts! I hate it! Please! Stop!" _

_Bel cried harder when a large hand slapped his face hard enough to leave a red mark in its wake. He could feel Rasiel pressing his crotch against his face, wanting more of that pleasure he felt whenever he put himself into Bel's mouth. _

"_You little slut," Bel's father snarled as he wrapped a hand around the boy's throat. "I should kill you right now. It's your fault your mother died! You're a useless piece of shit that should never have been born!" _

_Blood dribbled down Bel's body from the cuts his father had inflicted upon him, the pain shooting through his body. _

_Bel tilted his head to the side, trying to get away from his brother as best he could, but then he saw it; the bloodied knife sitting patiently on the bedside table, waiting to be used against a frail body once more. _

_Bel couldn't even remember grabbing that knife, no memory of what he had done with it present – all he knew was he was covered in the blood of his family as the two lay dead on the floor, stab wounds all over their bodies. _

_Behind long bangs, Bel's eyes widened as he stared at the blood on his hand, tears dripping down his cheeks as he cried loudly. He reached up, grabbing at his head as he screamed, the terror and confusion overwhelming him, battling against the joy of having been in control for once, of having protected himself against the ones who only sought to hurt him. _

_Bel cried as he grabbed the knife sitting next to him. He pushed himself off the bed, limping to his brother's corpse, the pain in his backside almost too much for him to move. Raising the knife, he brought it down into Rasiel, screaming and crying, his thoughts blurred as they rushed through his head. _

_The next thing he remembered was the police spreading throughout the bedroom, their eyes wary as they surveyed the bloodied boy still holding the knife._

Bel screamed as he shot upright in his bed, tears pouring down his cheeks as his body shook. All he could see was red. Red all over the walls, the bed – all over _himself. _

Squalo tried to lay him back down in the bed but he screamed louder and shoved at the man, cowering away from all physical contact. He was barely conscious of the teal-haired boy who was watching him from the bed opposite – all he knew was the blood.

Fran watched with tired eyes as Squalo struggled to lay Bel back down for a few minutes before he reached over onto the bedside table, grabbing a syringe that had been left there.

Teal eyes widened as he watched the gardener inject the boy with the syringe before Bel's struggles weakened and he collapsed back into the bed, a weak murmuring mess.

Squalo looked distressed as he pulled the covers back over the body, running his hand through blond hair. He sighed before he stood up and left the room, leaving the two boys alone.

Fran just stared at the door for a few minutes before he stood up and tiptoed to Bel's quivering body. After climbing up, he laid down beside the boy, curling in against the warm teenager. He gasped slightly as arms wrapped around him, tensing, but he soon relaxed when he heard the exhausted voice of Bel whisper, "Froggy..."

Fran closed his eyes once he heard Bel's breathing even out, falling fast asleep in the arms of the boy he wanted to be able to trust.


	9. Chapter 9

When Belphagor awoke the next morning, he was surprised to find a warm bundle pressed up against his chest. Glancing down through his thick bangs, he frowned slightly as he noticed Fran in his arms. Anger surged through him at this and, without a second thought, he shoved the sleeping boy from his bed, his eyes narrowed; how _dare _a peasant get so close to him? If he still had his knives, he would have been sure to jam one where it hurt most.

Fran, who had woken at the harsh push, whimpered as he fell from the bed. His teal eyes glanced up at the blond who was now hiding underneath the bedcovers as if hiding from someone.

"Bel-senpai..." Fran sighed before he stood up, leaving the room. It hurt that he had been rejected so cruelly but, at the same time, what else had he hoped for? For Bel to be _nice _about waking up with Fran?

Shaking his head, Fran left the room, moving down the hallway to Mukuro's bedroom. He knocked politely before he pushed the door open, poking his head into the room. He found the purple-haired boy still fast asleep in his bed while Chrome was sitting up in hers, yawning.

"What time is it, Fran?" Chrome asked as she rubbed her left eye, her right covered by the black eye-patch.

"I don't know," Fran said in monotone. His eyes were downcast as he walked closer to the girl before he crawled up onto her bed and rested on her lap. He whispered, "Bel-senpai kicked me out of the room..."

Chrome smiled sadly as she nodded, knowing she should have expected such a thing from the violent blond. She wrapped her arms around Fran's fragile figure before she replied, "How about we go get some breakfast?"

Fran glanced at Mukuro warily before looking back at Chrome. "But what about Mukuro?"

"He'll be fine. He'll eat when he's ready."

Fran nodded before he entwined his hand with Chrome's. "Okay."

As the two left the room to head downstairs, Bel was still in bed, tangled in his blankets as he thought to himself.

_Stupid peasant thinking he can sleep in the same bed as the prince... _Bel grit his teeth at these thoughts. _If he comes close again, I'll make _sure _he knows the prince values his personal space. Who does he think he is? I should go after him and kill him right now._

At the thought of spilling the teal-haired boy's blood, Bel felt himself hardening. As hard as he tried to work it out, he could never understand why the only things that seemed to arouse him was blood. Squalo had told him it was most likely from the abuse he had endured as a child and it was most likely natural for someone in his condition, so he had never worried about it – besides, he liked it when it was someone _else _bleeding and not himself. It made him feel safe and in control, a feeling he very much enjoyed.

Bel winced as fragments of his past played in his mind, but he was quick to replace his younger self with Fran within his fantasies, someone other than himself in that position reassuring for him.

The blond closed his eyes as he slipped his hand into the hem of his pants, grasping himself. He moaned, not trying to stifle his sounds, not caring who heard him. He could picture Fran crying as he pleaded for the twisted human who had called himself a father to stop. The blood that leaked from Fran's backside was enough to draw droplets of pre-cum from Bel's tip, and the screams and cries imaginary Fran emitted made the blond's hand move along his member faster.

Sweat beaded against Bel's forehead as he felt his stomach twist and coil. He moaned louder, whimpering as he arched his back against his touch. One may have thought it strange he could touch himself in such a manner after his childhood, but Bel didn't think that way – he was warped enough from the abuse to only be able to get off on violent thoughts; it didn't make a difference whether or not he touched himself to know he was _different _from the other kids at the Varia.

Bel was smart – smart enough to know he wasn't normal. He knew some of the older kids masturbated, like Mukuro and Gokudera, but he also knew none of them had such sadistic fantasies while they did it.

Though Bel wasn't a virgin, his precious gift having been taken from him at such a young age, he had never climaxed during all those times he had been raped. The teenager wondered if this was the reason he was usually quick to cum when he masturbated.

Letting out a strangled cry, Bel pulled his hand away as it quickly became saturated with his seed. He panted as he ran his clean hand through his hair, laughing softly to himself. He knew he was sick for getting off to a little boy being raped, but he couldn't help it – he didn't know any other way to fantasise.

Bel pulled his sticky pyjama pants from his body before he threw them carelessly to the ground, not caring who saw the evidence of his act. His mind was focused on Fran, wondering what it would be like to abuse that boy the way _he _had been.

Bel smirked at the idea before he frowned, remembering the way Fran had looked so peaceful snuggled against him.

No. The blond shook his head. He couldn't let Fran get close to him – Fran would just hurt him like everyone else. There was no more room in his heart for pain.

Refusing to let his emotions get the better of him, Bel stood up and moved to his closet to find new clothes before making his way to the bathroom to shower.

Bel's mind was already made up; he wasn't going to let _anyone _into his heart ever again – especially not some stupid brat.


	10. Chapter 10

Fran had been quiet after he finished his breakfast, upset by the fact that Chrome and Mukuro were going to school today. Tsuna had been kind enough to explain that today was one of the scheduled days where the twins, Ryohei and – usually – Gokudera went to get an education. Today, however, Gokudera was staying home, his bad mood apparent when he had started fighting with Bel and the two had only stopped after being pried away from each other.

The teal-haired boy was sitting outside in the backyard, his eyes scanning the area. The yard was fenced, separating it from the neighbouring yards. An apple tree stood in the back left corner, a garden growing around the perimeter. The grass covered most of the yard while a back porch rested against the house, a few deck chairs scattered around on the floorboard.

Fran had come out here after being terrorised by Lambo, not liking the way the five-year-old kept yelling and throwing things at him.

"Fran?"

Addressed boy looked behind him as his name was called. He noticed Tsuna was standing in the doorway with Gokudera by his side, the green eyes that had previously been angry now seemingly calm and placid.

"You should come inside, Fran. Lunch will be ready soon."

"Bel-senpai will be there…" Fran mumbled, swinging his legs off the side of the porch.

"But so will we," the brunet said. "Come on."

Fran sighed before he obeyed, not wanting to be pestered; he had wanted to sit by himself so he could process his thoughts in peace. He followed the two back into the house, noticing that though Gokudera had seemed calm by Tsuna's side, he tensed and glared angrily at him as they passed each other.

Fran's eyebrows dipped as he tried to process what he had done wrong. Had he accidentally brushed against the other? Or was it that his mere presence was repulsing the silver-haired teenager? If it was the latter, Fran had grown used to it – he was, as Bel had _kindly _pointed out to him before, a slut.

Gokudera wouldn't want his filthiness to touch him.

It was silent between the three of them until they entered the kitchen – and Fran couldn't help but wonder if it would have remained silent if Bel, who was taking his plate of food from Lussuria, didn't throw it at the taller teenager.

"You fuck!" Gokudera roared as he ran at the blond, his eyes full of hatred and anger. He had dodged the plate but it had shattered after hitting the floor, spraying him with shards and cutting his leg. "I'll fucking kill you!"

"Don't touch the prince!" Bel shouted back, throwing a punch at the younger boy who had tackled him to the floor.

Lussuria squealed in horror as he struggled to pull Gokudera off Bel, and even Tsuna's shouts for them to stop fighting went unheeded.

Fran's eyes were wide as he surveyed the fight, watching Bel and Gokudera roll around on the floor, yelling and punching. He whimpered as his body started to shake, his tiny hand reaching out to grab Tsuna's blue jumper, hiding behind the young man's legs.

"Gokudera-kun, get off him!" Tsuna didn't notice Fran so close to him and ran forward to stop the fight, knocking Fran off his feet. "Gokudera-kun!"

It wasn't until a stray fist hit Tsuna in the face did the quarrelling stop. Both Bel and Gokudera looked up when the brunet let out a cry of pain, green eyes widening as he realised what had happened.

Gokudera clambered off the bloodied 'prince' so he could attend to his beloved Tsuna. He put his now-shaking hands on Tsuna's shoulders as his eyes shined in guilt. His voice quivered as he spoke.

"T-tenth…! I-I'm so sorry!"

Tsuna removed his hand from his nose, a trail of blood creating a thin string between the two. He tried to smile, just glad the fighting had stopped. "It's okay, Gokudera-kun."

Lussuria was tending to Bel, holding a napkin to the boy's forehead as he jittered anxiously. "Bel, you should know better than to fight with your friends like this! You're hurt and this could have been avoided, honey!"

Belphagor pushed the man away with a growl. "They're _not _the prince's friends and _don't _call me _honey!" _

Tsuna ignored this, knowing Lussuria could handle himself. He glanced down at Gokudera's leg, seeing the way blood was flowing in rivers and the boy's skin rapidly paled. "Gokudera-kun, you need stitches."

"What? Oh – I'm fine, Tenth. Honest."

Tsuna wrapped his arms around the teenager as he pulled them both to their feet. "We need to get something to wrap around that and then we're going to the doctor's."

Fran, who seemed to have been forgotten, was sprawled on the floor behind the commotion, his teary eyes watching as Tsuna led Gokudera out of the room and Lussuria kept mending to Bel's injuries. It wasn't until he let out a lob sob, the stress of everything breaking him down, did anyone pay him any attention.

Lussuria frowned as he saw the boy laying there, whereas Bel's heart clenched for some unknown reason.

_He's crying…? _Bel couldn't understand the reasons behind the boy's tears – what could _possibly _have upset him? _But… why…?_

Lussuria left the sixteen-year-old's side to bring Fran into a tight hug, rocking him back and forth. "What's wrong, Fran, dear?"

Fran reached up to rip at his hair, the fact that he was beginning to feel and _show _his emotions causing him even more distress. "It hurts!"

"What hurts?" Lussuria glanced back at Bel, trying to keep an eye on both of the boys; he was worried about the blond and wanted to take him to a doctor to make sure everything was okay, but he couldn't just leave Fran alone like this.

The teal-haired boy shook his head as he continued to cry. "I-it's hurting me! Make it stop! Make it stop!"

Lussuria continued to rock the boy, whispering soothing words to him. "Shh, it's okay, Fran. It's okay, honey. You can trust me."

_They always say that… _This thought just added to the crushing feeling Fran was experiencing, his shouting becoming louder. "Leave me alone! I hate you!"

The chef knew these words hurt him, but this was a damaged child who was probably fearing for his safety – he couldn't take them to heart. "Honey, it's okay. What's hurting you?"

Bel just sat and watched this scene. He knew this was so similar to how he had been when he had first been brought here as a ten-year-old who wouldn't allow anyone to _look _at him, let alone touch him.

_When I first came here… _Bel thought to himself, _…I didn't want anyone to come near me… If anyone spoke to me, I'd attack them with whatever I had… _

The teenager could remember never wanting to come out of his room. Back then, it had just been him, Gokudera and Ryohei, and the adults had been so sick of breaking up fights started by Bel, Squalo had resorted to getting a pet for the blond in hopes of calming him down.

With Bel's dangerous personality, the gardener had been very careful in keeping an eye on the animals' safety, quickly deeming kittens and puppies as unsuitable after rescuing several from the boy's cruel hands.

In fact, Mammon hadn't even come from Squalo's hands; on one of the many occasions Bel had ran away from the Varia, Xanxus had been the one to find him, sitting calmly in the park with said frog on his head. The first words that had been spoken between them were from Bel asking if he could name the frog Mammon.

_Mammon was the only reason I never ran away again… _Bel recalled. _In fact, he was the only reason I started talking to any of them here… _

"Please, don't hurt me…"

_He sounds so scared… Just like how I used to sound when I… _

"Hey…" Bel's voice was hesitant, uncertain. He pushed himself to his feet before approaching the boy. When he was close enough, he squatted down, his eyes staring into teal ones. He fidgeted uneasily before he spoke, "…Froggy shouldn't be scared of Luss…"

Fran stopped struggling, his tears flowing silently as he stared at Bel in confusion. But before he could question Bel, the blond had stood up and left the room.

Fran and Lussuria just looked at each other before the man said, "He's right. I just want to look after you."

There were just two questions on Fran's mind; why had Bel said what he had, and why did he sound sad…? Should he… talk to Bel…?

Finally, Fran stopped his tears, his head resting against Lussuria's shoulder as the chef rocked him some more.

When teal eyes slipped shut, oblivion overwhelmed Fran as he fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Once the sound of the school bus stopping out the front of the Varia House caught Fran's attention, he slowly clambered off the couch in the living room, wanting to go greet Mukuro and Chrome. He was glad, though the twins and Ryohei went to different schools, they were able to catch the same bus – it was less trouble than learning whose bus came first if they caught separate ones.

The boy was feeling sluggish as he moved, exhausted from the day's earlier events. The front door opened before he could get there, and the first words he heard from the new arrivals was Ryohei shouting for Bel.

"Bel, come and get your stupid frog!" the grey-haired teenager shouted as he threw his school bag down onto the ground by the front door. "It's on the stairs again to the extreme!"

"Bel-senpai's not here…" Fran said quietly, gathering the attention of the three.

"W-where is he…?" Chrome asked shyly, pressing against her brother, almost as if she was anxious to hear the answer.

"Did they finally get rid of him?" Ryohei asked. Fran couldn't help but note his tone sounded hopeful. "Or maybe Squid-Head beat him up to the extreme again?"

The teal-haired boy nodded before he explained. "Bel-senpai had a fight with Gokudera and Lussuria and Tsuna took them to the doctor's. They haven't been home since."

"Who cares about Bel." Ryohei shrugged. "I mean – everyone hates him to the extreme anyway. He's only tolerated because no one else will take him from Varia's hands."

Fran blinked. "But…"

"Kid, don't get the wrong idea." Ryohei put his hand on Fran's shoulder, as if explaining something delicate to a small child. "The only reason Tsuna and the others look after him when he freaks out to the extreme is because it's their job to do so. They don't want him here. They regretted bringing him here to the extreme after the first few days. We all hate him to the extreme – _all _of us."

"…I thought… Mukuro and Chrome…"

Mukuro stayed oddly quiet throughout Ryohei's lecture, but Chrome spoke up, her voice small and barely audible.

"…W-we don't hate him…" Chrome whispered, her visible eye scanning the three figures around her. "…W-we just… don't know how to h-handle him…"

"Look, it doesn't matter," Ryohei said. "At the end of the day, he's still the most disliked person to the extreme in this house."

_What a horrible existence he's leading in this place… _Fran thought to himself. He watched as Ryohei turned to the right and headed to the kitchen, probably to find himself food. His teal eyes than wandered over to Mammon who was sitting peacefully on the bottom stair, croaking every now and then. The boy walked over to the frog and picked it up, not wanting it to get stood on. _I mean, he's here, but… The fact that he _knows _how much he is disliked… I bet it hurts knowing he's here where he's taken care of, but still unwanted… That would hurt me…_

Mammon croaked in the little boy's hands before he propelled himself into Fran's green hair, nesting amongst the messy strands.

Chrome and Mukuro were still standing by the door, watching Fran. Neither of them moved nor spoke when teal eyes fixed on them next.

"Do you really dislike Bel-senpai?" the boy questioned.

Mukuro and Chrome shook their heads. It was the purple-haired boy who explained.

"It's not that we dislike him as much as we feel uncomfortable around him. The first time we so much as laid eyes on him, he pulled a knife he had hidden in his jacket on us. He would have cut us if Xanxus hadn't grabbed his wrists and pulled the knife from him."

"Why does Ryohei and Gokudera hate him? What did Bel-senpai do to them?"

"We aren't sure why Ryohei hates him, and Gokudera? You can't really be asking me that, little one. Gokudera hates _everyone. _His mother died in a car crash on his birthday coming to deliver his present, and he blames himself for that. His self-hatred just bounces off on everyone else."

_If he hates everyone, why does he always follow Tsuna around like a puppy? _Fran wondered. He absentmindedly reached up to run a finger down Mammon's back when the frog croaked again, trying to understand how someone could possibly hate everyone with the exception of just one person.

Turning his attention back to the twins, Fran excused himself with the air of someone who was used to asking permission to do such a thing. "I want to go to my room now."

"Don't let us keep you, little one."

"P-please, do so, F-fran." Chrome offered a shy smile.

Fran, so unused to his wishes being granted happily, frowned as he turned and walked up the stairs, frog still on his head. He was still trying to work out Gokudera's infatuation with Tsuna, convinced that it was impossible for someone with a bad background to so easily accept someone – but then, hadn't Mukuro and Chrome accepted him without hesitation? And Tsuna, too?

_I just don't understand… _Fran closed the bedroom door behind him before he moved to sit on his bed, his back resting against the wall. _If Gokudera accepts Tsuna to the point where he follows him everywhere… am I doing the same thing with Mukuro…? Does that mean… I'm like Gokudera, even if I don't know it…?"_

Mammon croaked, distracting Fran from his thoughts. The boy's eyes looked up almost instinctively, trying to see the frog. Forgetting about Gokudera, his mind travelled to Bel and why the blond seemed so attached to the creature.

"Why does Bel always seem to have you out of your tank?" Fran questioned, not really knowing why he expected an answer. "It's like Gokudera… He only smiles around you… Are you his only friend, Mammon?"

_Croak._

"After what Ryohei was saying, I guess I can understand why he likes you. You must be the only one who doesn't make him feel disliked."

"What would _you _know about it?"

Fran blinked and looked to the doorway, surprised to see Bel standing there. He had been so caught up in talking to Mammon he hadn't even heard the door open.

"Bel-senpai, I –" Fran started to talk but he quickly stopped when the blond stomped towards him, a grim frown plastered on the boy's face.

"Why have you got Mammon?!" Bel roared, snatching the frog from Fran and holding it close to his chest as if he were afraid of the boy hurting it.

Fran heard the panic in Bel's voice, and at that moment it hit him; he _had _been right in assuming Mammon was Bel's only friend and said teenager was scared to lose him.

Speaking as calm as he could manage while he was nervous about being cornered, he explained, "Mammon was on the stairs when everyone got off the bus. I-I thought someone might step on him so I brought him back up here…"

The blond's shoulders that had been tensed visibly relaxed at this. "…Oh… He's… been known to wander the house…"

Fran watched as Bel's head tilted as if he were watching the frog. Hands that had been used to hurt so many people gently caressed the frog as if it were a fragile heirloom.

"…The prince appreciates you looking after Mammon…" Bel mumbled, turning slightly away from Fran's general direction. It seemed like he was trying as best he could _not _to thank the boy.

There was silence between them as Bel moved to sit on his bed, his attention still focused on Mammon. Fran was the one to break the atmosphere.

"Bel-senpai, can we…" Fran fidgeted before he continued speaking, "…can we be friends…?"

Bel froze at these words, panic surging through him. He had never had a friend before apart from Mammon and a mink he had found back when he was still in the clutches of that monster. The entire _concept _of befriending a fellow human was alien to him, and it horrified him to even _consider _letting someone be so close to him.

_People are bad… _Bel's mind was racing as fast as his heart, his eyes darting unseeingly around the room behind blond bangs. _They only cause pain… Monsters… Monsters… Hurt… They hurt… Don't want to be hurt again… Leave me alone…_

Fran knew he had said something wrong; Bel's body was starting to shake. He wondered if he should find someone to handle the blond, but when tears started dripping down Bel's cheeks, he knew he had to try and fix what had he done wrong.

"Bel-senpai?" Fran's voice was soft as he stood up, slowly approaching the older boy. "Bel-senpai, I didn't mean to upset you."

Bel let go of Mammon, his hands slipping into opposite sleeves of his clothing to scratch at the scars that marred his pale wrists. _D-don't want… Don't want to be touched anymore… Don't want to be hurt… _

Fran tilted his head as he caught sight of ugly scars lined side-by-side against a tiny wrist. He was too young to understand their significance, assuming them only to be dark reminders left behind by Bel's tormenters. However, he did understand that – the reminders of a past too horrid to want to remember.

"Bel-senpai?" Fran could tell the other wasn't paying any attention to him. Should he reach out to touch the other? Or just keep talking until Bel zoned in? Hearing the sobs that now accompanied the tears was enough for Fran to understand what he had to do. Taking a deep breath, he climbed up onto the bed beside Bel, careful not to touch but close enough for Bel to sense his presence. Once the other looked at him, he spoke in a pained voice as he acknowledged his own pain. "It hurts, doesn't it?"

"…" Bel stopped scratching at wounds that were now reopening, hearing a tone of voice he had never heard before; the tone of recognition – of true understanding.

"It hurts when all you can do is remember things you don't want to." Fran looked down at his lap, ghosts of previous touches sending shivers down his spine. "You can't stop the thoughts and all you want to is _forget _and move on with your life, but it's so _hard… _ The worst is when people look at you, judge you for what you couldn't stop. I know what it's like to lay awake in bed at night and cry because you're too scared to sleep – because you know that if you do, you'll dream. I know it feels like there's no future, no hope of forgetting – that the fear will forever rule your life. And Bel-senpai? …I don't know if you know this pain, too, but… I know what it's like to want to die. Being dead… It seems so much easier… I wish I could die, and then I wouldn't have to hurt. I want everything to stop but no one seems to care enough to see that, or want to help. I wish… I honestly wish I had a friend, Bel-senpai. You might think you've only got Mammon – and maybe that's true, I don't know. But I don't have anyone. I'm all alone in this world, senpai… I just… I wish I had someone like you have Mammon… A frog is better than having to suffer alone and in silence…"

Fran wanted to say more – he had tried to relate to Bel as much as he could but now his feelings were just getting in the way. Shutting his mouth, Fran squeezed his eyes shut as he closed his eyes, his own tears dripping down onto his black pants.

"…You don't…" Fran whimpered, his hands fisting said material as his shoulders started to shake, "…you don't see how lucky you are to have a friend, Bel-senpai… You're so selfish for that…"

_Sel…fish…? _Bel blinked, his hand coming up to wipe at his tears. _…Fr…iend…? He… He knows the same pain I do… It hurts him the same… He's been nice to me, unlike the others here… I've just… pushed him away all this time… But why does it hurt so much when I try and accept him…? I know why… I'm scared… I'm too proud to admit that, but it's the truth – that mink I had when I was little? I'm afraid of losing a… a _friend, _just like how I lost that mink… _

Bel could see how strong Fran was trying to be, the boy trying to choke back his emotions. He wanted to reach out and touch the kid, put an arm around his shoulders, but after so many years of the trauma, he was… too scared…

"…F-froggy…?" Bel winced at how pathetic he sounded, so drained of energy – so _vulnerable. _

Fran looked up at Bel, his lips quivering as he hiccupped. "S-senpai…?"

"..." Bel sighed. _Is the reason I'm starting to care about him crying… because I do just the same when I'm at Varia House alone…? _"…You don't have to cry anymore, Froggy…"

Fran rubbed at his eyes before he replied. "W-why…?"

"…" _Here goes nothing… _"…B-because… we… We can be lonely together…"

Fran couldn't stop himself. Reaching his arms out, he wrapped them around Bel's right arm, burying his face into the boy's striped shirt as he cried.

Bel was frightened by the contact, but he was able to overcome it, knowing that he himself just wanted someone he could hold and cry into when things got too hard for him.

Clearing his throat, Bel awkwardly patted the younger's shoulder before he bit his lip. "…F-froggy…? Can you let go of me now…?"

Fran didn't hear the teenger's request, his second emotional outburst for the day taking its toll on him. Slowly, his awareness of reality drifted away from him as sleep overwhelmed his hazy mind.

When Bel realised Fran was no longer awake and merely hiccupping on him in his sleep, he shuddered as he thought of letting the boy remain on him. It wasn't that he was disgusted or anything of the like – he was terrified of physical contact and after such a brash decision he was now second-thinking on, he wasn't ready to let Fran use him as a pillow.

Carefully moving Fran's head that had slipped down onto his thigh, he slipped a pillow underneath the teal hair instead before he stood up, he glanced back at Fran, his heart melting at how frightened the boy looked, even in his sleep.

Kneeling by the bed, Bel ran a shaking hand through Fran's hair for a few seconds before he pulled the blankets over the tiny body, shaking his head as he decided he wouldn't go back on his word – Fran was fragile, so young and with a life ahead of him. If Bel could just help the younger have a better life than _he _did… maybe it could help heal _both _of their hearts. 


	12. Chapter 12

When Lussuria went up to Bel's bedroom that night to call the two boys down for dinner, he was horrified to find Fran asleep in the older boy's bed, the worst-case scenario playing through his head; had Bel snapped? Hurt him? Had his cruel personality come out again?

Making his way over to the bed, Lussuria shook the boy's shoulder, whispering his name. "Fran. Fran, wake up, hun."

Fran blinked a few times before he looked up at Lussuria, his mind hazy from sleep. "…?"

"Hun, why are you in Bel's bed?" Lussuria questioned. "Did he hurt you?"

Fran shook his head, reaching up to rub at his eyes. "…I… fell asleep, I guess."

"He didn't hurt you?" Lussuria reached out and picked Fran up, holding the kid close to his chest. He let out a sigh of relief when the boy's head was shaken once again. "Thank goodness."

Fran didn't want to be held by this man, but he was too tired to protest. His eyes slipped closed once again as he was carried out of the room and down the corridor, his breathes coming in short pants.

Lussuria could see how exhausted Fran was, but he couldn't let the other skip dinner – not when the teal-haired child had barely eaten over the few days he had been here.

It was quiet as the two entered the dining room, the kids sitting at the table eating their dinner peacefully. Fran's eyes were still closed as he was placed down on a chair, not wanting to open them; he just wanted to curl back up in bed where it was warm.

"Has anyone seen Bel?" Lussuria asked. His worry increased once again as everyone shrugged, not particularly caring for where the blond was.

"No one cares." Ryohei was the one to speak what everyone thought.

"Don't be like that, hun," Lussuria said softly. "Bel is very important to all of us here."

Fran, remembering what had been said earlier that day, spoke up. "I thought everyone hated him… That's what Ryohei told me."

"Of course not, dear!" Lussuria sounded horrified by the accusation. "Bel is precious to us adults. He's always been the one we've had to protect and love. You kids eat your dinner while I go look for him."

Fran just pushed his plate away from him, the smell of the ramen making his stomach churn. "I want to come."

Lussuria wanted to argue and make him stay to eat, but he knew, even if he made the boy stay, Fran wouldn't eat anyway.

Nodding, Lussuria agreed. "Come on, then, hun."

Fran yawned as he stood up, following Lussuria to the front door. "Why are we going outside?" he questioned. "Wouldn't Bel-senpai still be in the house?"

"I doubt it," Lussuria started to explain. "Sometimes he goes to the park just down the street so he can be alone."

Fran nodded. It was silent between them as they walked down the street, the cold night air making Fran's body start to shake. It was dark and Fran was sure he would have no idea where he was going if it weren't for Lussuria to guide him.

When they got to the end of the street, there was a park across from them. The metal monkey-bars glinted from the moon's light, and a faint figure could be seen sitting on top of them.

"Is that Bel-senpai?" Fran asked as Lussuria picked him up.

The chef nodded. "That's him."

Bel didn't seem to notice their presence as he stared up at the sky, his arms moving in a strange pattern. His right hand remained still as his left seemed to run across it in lines, side-by-side. He turned slowly when the sound of the bark crunching beneath footsteps got louder and louder.

"Leave the prince alone, Luss…" Bel mumbled, turning his back towards the male again.

"Give me the knife, Bel." Luss sounded sad as he held his hand out.

Bel sighed before he did as he was told, holding a kitchen knife out to the man. His voice was hoarse as if he had been crying for hours. "The prince just wants to die… Why do you insist on him living when he doesn't want to…?"

Fran felt his heart drop at these words but he didn't speak.

"Come down so I can see your wrists, Bel." Lussuria was careful as he slipped the knife into his pocket.

"No." Bel sniffed as he pulled his arms to his chest protectively. "You can't just let the prince die in peace…?"

"No one needs to die, Bel," Lussuria said gently. "We just want to help you. That's all. Please, come down."

Bel knew Lussuria wouldn't leave him alone until he got off the monkey bars, so he hesitantly made his way down, wincing every time he put pressure on his wrists.

When the blond was on the ground, Lussuria reached out, turning pale arms over so Bel's wrists were exposed. It broke his heart to see the blood that flowed in rivers out of thin arms, wishing he could help the boy.

Lussuria was silent as he put Fran onto the ground before he placed both of his hands over the wounds, hoping to stem the bleeding.

"You're going to need stitches again, hun." Lussuria turned to Fran, his eyes soft behind his sunglasses. "Thank goodness you were cutting across and not down."

Bel whimpered as he was picked up, struggling in Lussuria's hold before he stopped, the blood loss causing his head to spin. He felt as if he were going to throw up as his vision went black and his ears started to ring, feelings all too familiar to him causing him distress.

Lussuria had seen this all too often when Bel tried to kill himself; he had to hurry and get him to the hospital.

Making sure Bel was safe cradled in one arm, Lussuria used his free hand to hold Fran's as he pulled the younger along, trying to hurry back to the Varia as fast as he could without dragging Fran.

It didn't take long for Lussuria to get back to the orphanage but by the time he had opened the door to his car parked on the side of the road, his worry heightened as he noticed Bel's eyes had slipped closed and the boy's breathing had become ragged.

Wishing he had tried harder to get Bel to come down sooner, the chef placed the blond on the back seat of the car, strapping him in. He helped Fran climb over Bel before he closed the door and got in the driver's seat, thankful he always kept his keys on him for emergencies like this.

The drive to the hospital was a quick one, the location of Varia chosen specifically for its proximity to their local hospital. Lussuria parked in emergencies, not caring that he had taken up some of the space of the park next to him, and got out of the car.

The chef was careful as he pulled an unconscious Bel into his arms, waiting briefly for Fran to get out of the car before he hurried into the hospital.

Lussuria knew it was depressing that, when the staff in reception took just one look at Bel, they called immediately for the doctor specifically allocated for Varia – Bel had been here enough times for suicide attempts to be on first name basis with the staff.

Fran's hand curled into the green material of Lussuria's jacket as he pressed himself close, not liking the way the people who sat in the waiting area gave them strange looks. He wasn't sure if it was because of the urgency of the situation or because of Lussuria's strange appearance, but it still made him uneasy to be stared at.

"Come on, hun," Lussuria said to Fran, grabbing the boy's attention as he started heading further into the hospital and to the room Bel's doctor was in. "We have to hurry."

Fran shuddered as he followed, the nurses rushing back and forth unsettling. He was relieved when they turned into an enclosed room, knowing he could ignore the others outside.

"Him again, huh?"

Fran looked warily at the doctor sitting at a desk before them. He had shaggy brown hair and wore the standard doctor uniform, and his nose was scrunched in distaste.

"I don't treat males." Even though the doctor had said this, he still stood up and gestured to the hospital bed sitting against the wall opposite them. "He cut himself again, didn't he?"

Lussuria nodded as he carefully laid Bel down on the bed, trying his best not to jostle the injured arm. "I don't know if it was a suicide attempt or not."

The doctor grabbed the bloodied arm, examining it for a brief second before he spoke. "Needs stitches."

Lussuria moved to sit on one of the chairs sitting in the corner, lifting his hand to bite at his nails. He watched as the doctor cleaned out the wounds and, when he started stitching them back up, he turned his attention to Fran, not wanting to watch the procedure.

Fran had moved to sit on the chair beside Lussuria, twiddling his thumbs nervously. He was uncomfortable here, but he knew he had to be strong – _he _wasn't the one getting the stitches.

"Shamal's a good doctor," Lussuria stated to Fran, wanting to break the awkward silence between them. "He doesn't treat any other males except for our boys."

"…Why…?" Fran looked up into the black sunglasses, curious as to what this reason could be.

"He's an old acquaintance of Xanxus and Squalo. I'm not sure the details but there was an accident and the two saved him. It's Shamal repaying a debt to them by looking after the kids."

"Oh…" Fran turned back to Bel, watching as white bandages were wrapped carefully around the skinny arm. His eyes wandered to the bloodied rags sitting beside the doctor – Shamal, Fran learnt – that had been used to clean the blood and wounds, and he winced; that was a lot of blood.

When Lussuria stood up to move over to the bed, Fran was horrified by the amount of blood that had spilt onto the man's clothing; no wonder Bel was as pale as a ghost.

"I'll keep him here overnight," Shamal said. "I want to get some blood into him to compensate for what he's lost. I'll see how he is in the morning and if he's able, I'll call for someone to pick him up."

Lussuria nodded as tears started trailing down his cheeks; he loved the kids he cared for and Bel was special to him – he was someone so fragile, he wanted to help build back to full strength in all aspects. It always tore at his heart whenever the blond would land himself in hospital but he had to keep in mind it was something he could never understand, no matter how hard he tried – he had never lived the life Bel had and no amount of pretending would ever help him relate.

"Thank you so much, hun," Lussuria said as he moved back to Fran's side. "You don't understand how much it means for you to be doing this."

Fran was quiet as the adults spoke, his eyes on the floor. _I hope Bel-senpai will be okay. I want us to be friends – more than any of the kids there. I think Bel-senpai understands me and I him. Maybe I'm wrong to see it this way, but… I think of Bel-senpai as a friend already. I don't want to lose my friend. _


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter contains some slight sexual activity with Bel and Fran. Just to clarify; Bel's "cheerful" mood and no hints of trauma is from the painkillers the hospital had administered. **

Fran had slept fitfully that night, his nightmares focusing around Bel, blood and knives. It had been horrifying but Mukuro, who hadn't been able to sleep either, had heard the fretting and taken him down to the kitchen for a warm glass of milk. After that, he had been able to rest easier, sleeping through breakfast and almost to lunch. The others had let him sleep after being told about what had happened.

When Fran did wake, it was to his bedroom door closing as footsteps approached his bed. Opening his eyes, he came face-to-face with a blond fringe and grinning mouth.

"Bel-senpai…?" Fran yawned as he sat up, putting a hand over his mouth. "Bel-senpai, is your arm okay?"

"Ushishishi…" Fran noted that Bel seemed back to his normal self, the same boy he had met on his first day here. "Is Froggy worried about his senpai?"

Fran nodded. He closed his eyes when warm arms wrapped around him, nestling into Bel's chest. "It was… scary…"

"Don't think on it, Froggy." Bel rested his chin on top of teal hair, his abnormally happy mood caused by the large amount of painkillers that had been pumped into his system at the hospital.

There was silence between them for a while as Bel ran his hand up and down Fran's side, the smaller boy almost asleep once again in his arms.

"Hey, Froggy?" Bel lifted his chin from Fran's hair and looked down at him.

"Hm?" The boy didn't open his eyes, too comfortable to speak.

"You should be the prince's boyfriend."

It took Fran a few seconds to register what the teenager had said. "…Huh?"

"Ushishishi… You know, be _the prince's _Froggy – his _boyfriend_!"

In Fran's sheltered existence, he had never encountered a 'boyfriend'. In fact, he hadn't encountered a lot of things, having been used purely for pleasure and then thrown back into the dirty cage he was kept in.

"What does a boyfriend do?" Fran asked.

_He doesn't know what a boyfriend is? _Bel laughed inwardly to himself at the thought. _How does he not know? _"Boyfriends kiss and touch each other."

"Oh." Fran couldn't see much appeal in such a thing but if it would make Bel happy, he would oblige. "Okay. Have you had a boyfriend before, Bel-senpai?"

"Nope." Bel rested his chin on teal hair once more. "Never liked anyone enough to want it."

"Does that mean you like me?" Fran questioned.

"Yup. You're _the prince's _Froggy now."

Fran rested against Bel's chest once again, still oblivious to the expectations of a boyfriend so, when hot lips pressed against his own, his eyes widened and he pulled away, his experiences telling him something unwanted was about to happen.

"B-bel-senpai…" Tears welled up in Fran's eyes as he hiccupped softly, the memories upsetting him. "W-what are you doing…?"

"Kissing Froggy." Bel smiled. "Does Froggy not like it?"

"You scared me…" Fran whispered. "I thought…"

Bel knew what had scared Fran; the sudden feel of something against his lips would have jogged the memories of the abuse. "The prince will kiss his Froggy again and he can see there's nothing to fear. Close your eyes."

Fran hesitantly did as told, whimpering quietly when something pressed softly against his lips. However, this time it wasn't so frightening – it was almost relaxing. His body relaxed as he pressed back against Bel's lips, opening his eyes to look at the blond fringe that covered the older boy's eyes.

When Bel pulled away, he smiled. "Can the prince kiss Froggy more?" Fran shyly nodded. "You have to open your mouth this time."

Fran was curious as to why his mouth needed to be opened but he felt himself trusting Bel not to hurt him. He did as he was told, watching as Bel's face drew closer to his. He jumped when something wet entered his mouth, his eyes widening as he remembered what men had loved to put in there, and tried to pull away. Tears slipped down pale cheeks as Bel held him still, but instead of making it worse, the blond pulled away.

"Don't be scared, Froggy," Bel whispered as he nuzzled his cheek against Fran's. "The prince won't hurt you. You just need to trust him."

Fran nodded, wanting desperately for his trust in someone to be right. His body started to tremble as Bel slowly laid him down on the mattress beneath them and closed his eyes, turning his head to the side.

Bel reached out, turning Fran back to face him. He smiled before slowly leaning down and connecting their mouths again. He could feel how tense the body beneath him was and as his tongue rubbed against the smaller one, he could feel said organ starting to rub back against his.

The blond was overjoyed as Fran tried to reciprocate, join a dance he didn't know. His hands travelled down the smaller body as he tasted the boy's mouth. He ran his tongue over every inch, savouring the taste of sweets that was Fran.

Fran, relaxing more and more each second, moaned softly as he closed his eyes. He was starting to enjoy this, an unfamiliar feeling curling in his stomach. It wasn't unpleasant but it did feel strange.

Bel broke the kiss before he started planting soft kisses against Fran's face. "Did you like that, Froggy?"

Fran nodded, his face blushed. The feeling in his stomach was getting more uncomfortable and he reached up, grabbing Bel's shoulders. "I… I feel… strange…"

"Hmm?" Bel smirked, knowing what was wrong with the younger; their kisses had been arousing for the young boy. "Strange?"

Fran nodded, sitting up when he was pulled to sit on Bel's lap. He moaned again as the tightness of his pants became apparent. This had never happened to him before and he didn't know what was happening. He ghosted his hand over his crotch, whimpering as a jolt of pleasure shot through his body.

Looking up at Bel with hazy eyes, Fran whispered, "W-what's wrong with me…?"

Bel licked his lips before he spoke. "It's nothing bad, Froggy. Just touch yourself and it will go away."

Fran blinked at the information before he nodded, his hand resting on thin material once more. He gasped in surprise as bigger hands pulled his pants down low enough to reveal his erect boyhood, and his face broke out in a blush.

"That's better," Bel whispered into Fran's ear, his hot breath making the boy shiver. "Now I can watch."

Fran shyly fondled his boyhood, whimpering and moaning at pleasure he had never experienced before. Bel continued to lick his lips as he focused his gaze on those tiny hands, ignoring his own hardness.

"Does it feel good…?" Bel whispered, groaning as Fran shifted and rubbed against him.

"Bel…senpai…" A thin string of saliva dripped down Fran's chin as his hands moved faster, inexperienced and fumbling.

However, before anything more could happen, the bedroom door was opened and a head of white hair poked into the room.

"Hey, Gaylord Luss told me to – Voii! What the _fuck _is going on here?!"

Fran whimpered and curled into Bel's arms, facing away from the angry man. He should have known it was bad to touch himself after everything he had been through, but it had felt so good he didn't even _think _of that…! Tears welled up in his eyes as he started shaking, small sobs escaping every now and then. Bel's arms were wrapped around him protectively but nothing came out of the blond's mouth.

Footsteps stomped to the door before it was a battle for Fran, Squalo shouting for the blond to let go while said teenager protested. Fran, being tugged by two sets of hands, started screaming, the stress of the situation making him feel sick.

People came to stand in the doorway to see what was happening – this fight was different from the usual; for one, Fran didn't usually scream as if he were being murdered while Squalo shouted death threats at Bel, the blond yelling for him to give back his "Froggy". It was easy enough to work out that something sexual had been happening between Fran and Bel previously as the teal-haired boy's now half-hard member hung out and the teenager's pants were tented.

Xanxus was the one to push past the growing crowd at the sight. He stood by Squalo's side for two seconds before he punched Bel in the face, getting the other to let the frightened boy go.

Bel's hands moved to his face, biting his lip as pain shot through him. He looked through the cracks of his fingers in time to see Squalo adjusting his hold on Fran so that he could hold the kid as he carefully tucked Fran back into his pants, a frown on his face as he did so.

Xanxus looked as if he were about to kill somebody – namely Bel in this situation. He growled for Squalo to shut the door and, once the other had done so, he reached out, slamming Bel into the wall behind him. He held the blond against it by the shoulders, snarling as he spoke.

"What the _fuck _has gotten into you, trash?"

Bel glared at the dark-haired man before he spoke. "Froggy is the prince's boyfriend now so the prince may do with him as the prince wishes."

At these words, Squalo slapped the boy across the face, disgusted to hear such things from Bel. "One; Fran is _nine, _two; he's _already _been molested enough as it is, and three; you've done _nothing _but take advantage of him."

"The prince didn't hurt him," Bel spat back. "He _liked _it. The prince was kind enough to let Froggy touch himself so he didn't get scared."

"He's _nine!"_ Xanxus roared. "You filthy piece of trash!"

"So what? Froggy is the prince's boyfriend!"

"Voi! You're not a fucking prince!" Squalo shouted. "We're all sick of hearing you refer to yourself as one! You're nothing but lowlife scum, getting off watching Fran touch himself!"

All through this, Fran had been curled against Squalo's chest, his eyes wide as he held his hands over his ears. He was horrified by the fighting and wanted it to stop. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't block any of the noise out.

"Stop fighting!" Fran cried as he started to struggle in Squalo's arms. "Stop!"

"Fran, how did this start?" Squalo growled, trying to get the facts. He knew it wasn't fair on Bel to treat him so badly after this – they had honestly expected such things from the boy due to the trauma, but it also wasn't fair for Fran to let it go so easily if it had been the slightest bit unwanted.

Fran sobbed as he tried to explain that Bel wasn't lying about them being boyfriends and it had been his fault the blond was in trouble – he shouldn't have touched himself to begin with, much less in front of Bel.

"…B-bel-senpai… asked for us to be boyfriends…" Fran curled tighter into a ball, wanting to disappear. "…W-we started to… k-kiss… B-bel-senpai didn't do anything I didn't want… I-it's not his fault… I didn't know what was wrong with me. I told him I felt strange because I did! …A-all he did was tell me how to make it stop feeling weird… It's _my _fault – I won't ever touch myself again! I promise! J-just stop yelling at us!"

Xanxus and Squalo looked at each other before they turned to Squalo, both of their expressions softening but still angry about the situation.

"Listen, _trash…_" Xanxus leant in close as he spoke to Bel, "…he's _nine. _I don't care if you're gay or whatever, but he is _not _your boyfriend. You do _not _kiss him, do _not _touch him and most of all, do _not _have intercourse with him, consent or not, or else I really _will _kill you."

Bel, who was hurting over being told he wasn't a prince, spat, "The prince will do as he wishes."

Squalo, who was softer than Xanxus, whispered to Fran, "Fran, it's okay if you touch yourself because most males _do, _but you're young and shouldn't have a boyfriend."

"But…" More tears flowed as Fran sniffed. "…I… I-I want Bel-senpai to be my boyfriend… I-I like it when we kiss…"

_What's the right thing to do here? _Squalo thought to himself as he looked at the three males in the room. _He's young and not ready for this, but… Bel – whether or not it's from the painkillers – has finally taken a huge step and allowed someone into his life… Will taking away Fran result in a step back? Or if we allow him to have Fran, what will be the result for _him…? _They're both so damaged… Maybe we _should _allow this… to an extent… _

"Voii, Xanxus," Squalo got his boss' attention before he nodded at Bel who was now sitting on the bed, glaring angrily at the two. "Maybe it'll help with the trauma if we let them be."

Xanxus grunted before he shrugged. "Whatever." Turning to Bel, he added, "If you dare do _one _thing he doesn't consent to, you're dead meat. Keep it at holding hands until he's older, trash."

Squalo hesitantly passed the shivering boy back to Bel, biting his lip as he did so; he could only hope he was doing the right thing here – he'd definitely get the others to help monitor the situation.

Fran snuggled in against Bel, relieved to be back in the teenager's arms. Bel just wrapped his arms tight around the shaking body, resting his chin on the boy's hair again. He hummed in content, just glad to have his Froggy back.

"I'm sorry I got you into trouble…" Fran whimpered, looking away. He blinked when a finger rested under his chin, tilting his head up.

"It wasn't the Frog's fault," Bel whispered, smiling softly. "Froggy did nothing wrong." With that said, he crushed their lips together again, his tongue licking small lips, asking for access.

Fran was only too happy to let the roaming organ into his mouth, and seconds later they broke away for air.

"Froggy, the prince is tired," Bel said as he carefully pushed Fran onto the mattress. "The prince is going to sleep. Wake him up for lunch."

Fran blushed as he nodded, watching Bel get into his own bed. He was feeling uncomfortable once again in his stomach, and he wondered whether or not he should touch himself again – both Squalo and Bel had said it was okay, but…

Biting his lip as a dull throbbing feeling made itself known between his legs, Fran blushed as he moved to the bathroom, hoping no one was in there so he could take care of himself.


	14. Chapter 14

When Fran awoke the next morning, he found himself curled up in Bel's arms, pressed against the boy's chest. He sighed softly as he snuggled closer, content with the proximity; it was a nice change to welcome the warm embraces instead of fearing the touch of others.

Bel's eyes opened slowly as he felt movement against him. He shivered, his body tensing instinctively. By now the painkillers had long worn off and the events of the previous day were clear in his mind. What the _fuck _had he done yesterday?

"F-fran…"

Fran looked up, confused by the usage of his name. He frowned, not liking the uncertainty clear in Bel's voice. "What's wrong?"

Bel licked his lips, not knowing what to say. "…A-about yesterday…"

"What about it?" Fran's heart was starting to beat faster. He didn't know what to expect – was he in trouble for something? Was Bel sick of him already?

"…" Bel sighed as he started pushing Fran away from him. "…Fran… W-we can't be boyfriends…"

"What?" Fran's eyebrows narrowed, confused. "Why…?"

"Fran, I…" Bel rolled onto his back, staring up at the roof. "…The prince wasn't in his right mind last night. …I… don't want to be boyfriends with you…"

Fran felt as if his whole world had shattered. W-what…?

Crawling up so he was laying on top of Bel, Fran stared into the blond bangs hiding Bel's eyes. He felt his eyes tearing up, not understanding why it hurt so much. Was it because he had put all the trust he had into Bel to not hurt him? To let the blond touch him in ways he feared? He had pulled down his barriers and let Bel past them, see him scared and upset, and now the blond was pulling away.

Did Bel not want to be close to him because he could see the damage done to Fran? Did he not want a friend like him? What… had Fran done wrong…?

"…I-I don't understand…" Fran whispered. He shivered as he felt the teenager try to push him away, almost scared Bel was going to hit him.

Bel stopped pushing at the other, turning his head to stare at the wall opposite them. Tears dripped down onto the pillow beneath him as he tried to explain.

"…I… I-I'm not… _right…_" Bel whispered. He clenched his hands, knowing he _did _like Fran – the boy was relatable, quiet, and didn't irritate him. He was the only one in Varia he could tolerate, as hard as it was for him to admit that. "…I… I'll just hurt you…"

Fran disregarded this and leant down, placing his lips shyly against Bel's. When he pulled away, he whispered back, "…I-I like it when we kiss…"

Bel felt the urge to hit Fran surge through him, one of the reasons he didn't want to be this close to the boy – he'd be lying if he said he wasn't attracted to the boy, but there was just something about Fran that made him want to protect the younger.

"Fran…" Bel raised a hand and ran his thumb over a pale cheek. "…Fran, the prince… I… don't want… to hurt you… Squalo and Xanxus… they say I'm dangerous…"

Fran was silent as he pulled away, sitting on the side of the bed. He swung his legs back and forth as he tried to convey his feelings into words. "…When I was… with _them… _I was always scared… They made me do things I didn't want to… I hated them… I never felt safe with them… B-but… when we kiss… I _do _feel safe… And maybe I'm wrong, but… it felt as if you… c-cared about me… when you didn't… touch me _there_ yesterday…"

"…Froggy… I'm sick…" Bel frowned as he curled into a ball. "…I'm so sick… You wouldn't want someone like me… W-when you're older you'll understand, but… I'll hurt you, and… you'd eventually start to hate me if I let you into my life…"

Fran shook his head. "You're… the first person… I've felt safe around… I want to be your boyfriend. I… We both hurt, so… I know it won't always be easy, but… maybe we can make it work. Please? Can we at least try…?"

Bel sighed, but the pleading look in those teal eyes made him smile. _I guess we can… try… _"…Okay. …But don't say the prince didn't warn you, Froggy. And what Xanxus and Squalo said yesterday; the prince isn't ready to do anything more than kissing, so don't ask him to do more."

Fran laughed softly before he nodded. "But what more do boyfriends do than kiss? Is there more?"

"Yeah, but we won't do it for a long time so don't ask me!" Bel flicked Fran's nose playfully before he wrapped his arms around the boy, pulling him closer. "I'm bored already. Let's go into town today."

Fran snuggled in closer to Bel's body as he nodded. "Okay. But what do you do in town?"

"Are you serious? You can't really be trying to tell me you've never gone into town before." Bel sounded incredulous, as if he had just been told his best friend was really an alien.

"I haven't, senpai." The teal-haired boy frowned. "Is that… bad…?"

_Calm down, Bel… _The blond took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. _He's never been anything more than a sex toy… _"…No."

Fran had to admit he was frightened by Bel's outburst, but he could see the attempt the teenager had made at not exploding at him. He climbed off Bel's lap when he felt the older boy moving, standing on the ground beside the bed.

"I'm going to take a shower," Bel stated before he left the room quickly, upset by his own attitude towards the neglect the kid had suffered.

Fran could only watch as Bel stomped out of the room with an angry gait. He sighed, sure he had done something wrong again.

When Bel slammed the bathroom door closed behind him, he didn't take his clothes off; he just turned the shower on and stepped straight in under the steaming hot water, scratching at the skin hidden beneath his clothing.

The blond shivered as hands of the past ghosted over his body and, with a hiccup, he let his legs drop weightlessly to the ground as his back rested against the glass behind him. He sobbed as he pulled his knees to his chest, letting the water wash over him.

Grabbing the soap that was lying at his right, Bel cried as he ran it over his body continuously, trying to wash away the blood and filth his family had left behind on him.

_**~~Fran~~**_

The first adult Fran had found was Lussuria. The chef had been cleaning the kitchen to prepare for lunch, but he stopped when the boy tugged at his shirt.

Looking down at his feet, Fran spoke in an anxious voice, "…I think I did something wrong again…"

Lussuria knelt to be at eye level with Fran. He hummed in encouragement, trying to get the boy to open up to him. "What is it, Fran?"

"…I think I made Bel-senpai mad, but I don't know how…"

"Oh, hun, Bel gets mad very easily," Lussuria tried to comfort. "He doesn't have any friends here and he won't talk to us when he's having a bad day. I'm sure you did nothing wrong; he might just have been grumpy because of something else."

Fran nodded. He moved to sit down at the table, relaxing as he waited for Bel to get out of the shower. He thought back on their conversation, curious about what else boyfriends do together – what else was there except for kissing and talking?

"What do boyfriends do together?"

Lussuria stiffened at the unexpected question, turning back to face Fran. "Why do you ask, dear?"

"Because Bel-senpai and I are boyfriends, but he says he isn't ready to do more. He wouldn't tell me what else we can do together, so I was wondering."

Lussuria chuckled at the explanation. He put the cloth he had been holding down on the bench as he moved to sit at the table with Fran. "Hun, boyfriends do lots together. There is kissing, and then there is touching. The last step, once both parties are ready, is sex."

"What is sex?"

"Sex is –"

"Voi!"

Fran whimpered when hands slapped themselves against his ears, pulling him away from Lussuria.

"Don't put ideas in the kid's head, Gaylord!"

Fran looked up to see Squalo behind him, a hint of red on his cheeks. He blinked, not sure what the reason for this was. Before he could question anything, he was lifted into Squalo's arms and carried upstairs, the white-haired man mumbling as they walked.

Before he could question why he had been dragged away from Lussuria, Fran's bedroom door was opened and he was dropped unceremoniously on his bed.

"Don't ask Gaylord those things ever again," Squalo mumbled as he turned to leave. "You'll hear much more than you want to and be traumatised for life."

Fran just blinked, watching as Squalo slammed the door behind him.


	15. Chapter 15

Fran had been content with Mammon sitting on his head as he sat on his bed waiting for Bel. He had been waiting quite a while, longer than what he thought a shower should have taken – up until he had been taken from the people who had abused him, he had never had the luxury of taking care of his hygienic needs.

It was only once the men in uniforms had taken him from his cage and given him to the nice lady who wore a nice dress did he even realise there was such a thing as cleanliness; he had thought it was natural to smell and be covered in filth until he was given his first bath by the same lady. Fran hadn't liked the bath; being naked was too exposing and the hands that were separated from his skin by the cloth between them reminded him of the men he had lived with.

Fran hadn't had many baths after that, not liking the fear it provoked in him.

When the bedroom door opened, Fran looked up hopefully, a smile breaking onto his face as he caught sight of Bel – but it quickly dropped when he noticed the saturated clothing that hung from the teenager's body. He wasn't entirely sure, but he didn't think you bathed with your clothing on – the lady who always gave him his baths had always coaxed him into taking his off.

Bel was silent as he crossed the room and ducked under his bed, resurfacing with a change of clothes. He turned to Fran briefly before he spoke in a quivering voice, "C-can you leave so the prince can dress…?"

Fran nodded, knowing what it was like to want to keep his body hidden. He left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He sat down, his back resting against the rickety door as he waited.

Tsuna and Gokudera were coming up the stairs as Fran scratched his nails against the hardwood floor, not knowing what else to do. Tsuna greeted him cheerfully as he passed on his way to Lambo's bedroom while Gokudera just sent him a filthy glare.

"Disgusting frog…" Fran heard the silver-haired teenager mutter under his breath. There was more to the sentence but he hadn't been able to catch it.

_Mammon's not disgusting… _Fran thought to himself as he reached up to pat the frog's head. _He's Bel-senpai's best friend…_

The green-haired boy listened as Tsuna gently reprimanded the teen before turning into Lambo's bedroom and, by now, Fran was getting a tad worried; did it really take so long to change clothes?

_Maybe I should look just to make sure he's okay,_ Fran thought. _…B-but what if he's fine and not dressed? …Maybe he's sick? Maybe that's why he took so long in the shower. _

Getting to his feet, Fran placed his hand on the door handle, ready to turn it. He wanted to just peek in and check that Bel was alright; he didn't need to watch. He opened the door a crack as he looked in, seeing that the blond had taken all of his clothes off, his wet ones dumped by the bed as he stared down at the new clothes he had pulled from under his bed.

Fran could see Bel's body was scarred from head to toe, some looking old with age and some new. It was a familiar sight, but he had never seen it on another person before – he had been covered in bruises and cuts in his old daily life, and it hurt to see Bel resembling him.

Teal eyes watched as Bel picked up underwear from the bed, holding it for a few seconds before he slipped it on. The blond reached out again but stilled as if stopped by something. Long, skinny arms reached back up to wrap around his chest, hugging himself, as a visible tremor shook his entire body. The teenager glanced around as if searching for someone, a loud sob sounding through the room.

Fran knew he had seen enough – there had been a reason Bel hadn't wanted him in there and it just wasn't because he was shy.

Sighing as he shut the door once more, Fran slid back down it as he rested, waiting for Bel to compose himself.

Almost as soon as Fran's bottom had hit the floor, Chrome had left her room, heading towards the seafoam-green-haired boy once she caught sight of him.

"W-what are you doing, F-fran…?" Chrome asked gently, a shy smile on her face.

"Bel-senpai had a shower," Fran explained. "He wanted me to leave so he could change his clothes."

A slither of sympathy crossed violet eyes before Chrome nodded her head in understanding. "A-are you doing anything today…?"

"Senpai wanted to go into town. He wants me to come because we're boyfriends now."

Chrome's shy smile deepened as she blushed, looking away. "I-I see… Do you have any m-money…?" She reached into her pocket when Fran shook his head, withdrawing a small leather purse. The girl pulled a note and some coins out of a pocket before she handed it to her friend. "Y-you can have this…"

Fran blinked as he looked down at the money. He knew about money and its purposes, but he had never really seen it before, much less be given it. "Oh… T-thank you…"

Chrome nodded as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Fran's cheek. "There's fifteen dollars… That's what I have left, so buy something nice…"

"Okay." Fran slipped the money into his pants pocket, wanting to be extra careful so he didn't lose any of it; he didn't know how often he would get any money so he wanted to keep what he could.

Chrome left shortly before the bedroom door opened and Bel beckoned for Fran to come back inside. The blond wrapped his arms around the tiny body, holding him close as he forced himself to hide his depression like he always did.

"The prince is ready," Bel said softly, a smile making an appearance.

Fran wasn't sure if he should trust the smile or not after seeing Bel just minutes ago, but he didn't question it. If Bel had weird mood swings, he could understand that.

"Chrome gave me money." Fran smiled back up at Bel. "Can I spend it?"

Bel nodded, his eyes hidden by his bangs. "Let's go somewhere special. Hold my hand, Froggy."

Fran's little hand became encased in Bel's as he was led down to the first floor and out into the backyard where Squalo was tending to the flowerbeds just by the deck.

"Froggy and I are going into town," Bel told the white-haired male as he pulled the smaller boy against him. "The prince wants money."

"Voii, stupid brat…" Squalo grumbled to himself as he dropped his gardening shears and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. He shoved a handful of notes at the two kids regretfully before returning back to what he was doing. "I want what's left of it back, baby. And take the bus."

"The prince doesn't take peasant transport," Bel growled. "He'd rather walk."

"I said take the bus, Bel." Squalo's eyes darted over to Fran for a split second as concern flashed through them. "I don't want Fran walking the streets at his age."

Bel stuck his nose up in the air as he got ready to protest again but, when Squalo stomped angrily to his feet, he raised his hands in protest as he frowned nervously.

"Voii, I'll walk you to the fucking bus stop and watch you get on if I have to!" Squalo roared.

Fran hid behind Bel at the outburst, still unused to the man's bi-polar attitude. He watched Squalo with wary eyes as his boyfriend finally gave in and agreed to use the bus, glad to leave the gardener behind. They didn't talk to anyone else in the Varia, instead using the back gate to leave the house and walk down the street to the bus stop.

The next bus didn't come for another ten minutes, but Bel was rather content to sit on the bench waiting while Fran sat on his lap, swinging his skinny legs back and forth.

_I wonder if I did the right thing by accepting him… _Bel sighed as he wrapped his arms around the kid, kissing the corner of Fran's lips. _What if I hurt him…? I… He's the only one in my life I just don't want to hurt… Why is that…? Do I… truly love him…? Even if I do, what if I hurt him…? I… I'll never be free of my scars, no matter how hard I try, no matter the amount of pretending I'm fine… _

_Fran… I'm scared of losing you… And I'm the kind of coward who'd never tell you that to your face… For now, while I can, I want to pretend I'm okay – maybe I will be, who knows? – but I need your help… I need you to keep the pieces together… No one else knows what it's like to be in this much pain… How hard it is to stay sane… They watch as I lose myself to the trauma and then they judge when I lash out in fear… But you've never left… never watched… never _judged… _You understand… _

_So just let me hold you and smile while I can because I don't know how much longer I can go on faking that everything's going to be okay… I love you, we both know that's the truth… Just please… when I inevitably hurt you, please don't leave me… I'm scared of being alone… because I always have… _

_Let me learn what it's like to love and trust in someone and not be hurt in return… Help me face this monster that's turning me into my father… I don't want to be him… Save me, Fran… Please, save me… _


	16. Chapter 16

**There will most likely be a time skip next chapter as I want to get past most of the depression and stuff as it gets repetitive after a while and I think you've seen enough to mostly get the gist of the characters anyways. **

'Town' was much bigger than it looked when you were in a car driving through it. Fran's teal eyes were wide as he stared all around him, having just gotten off the bus with Bel.

There were people all around them, buildings and cars everywhere, and the road looked much longer when he was standing still.

"Are you alright?" Bel asked, squeezing the boy's hand he was still holding. Fran looked up and smiled brightly as he nodded.

A tiny hand raised as it pointed to their left, Fran's usually quiet voice quivering in excitement. "L-let's go this w-way, senpai."

Bel smiled as he was tugged, following the kid placidly. Once he had gotten on the bus, he had been soothed into a calm state by the bus' movements.

"Do you even know where you're going, Froggy?" Bel couldn't help but question, amused.

"No, but… t-there's so much to look at." Fran stopped pulling Bel along and turned to look up at him with pleading eyes. "C-can we go everywhere that's fun?"

Bel, who was in a rather good mood at the minute, nodded. "There's a game arcade not far from here."

"Game… arcade…?" Fran spoke as if the words were foreign to him, his eyes clouding with confusion. He tilted his head before he asked, "What's that?"

Bel leant down and kissed Fran's forehead. "You'll see."

Fran let the teenager lead the way, keeping close to him as he tried to look at everything he was surrounded by at the same time. It was all so new to him and he was mesmerised by the simplest of things, the entire concept alien until just a few minutes before.

The teal-haired boy didn't know how much time had passed before his eye was caught by something by both upset him and yet intrigued him.

Halting, Fran pulled Bel to a stop as he pointed at the pet shop they were standing in front of. He pointed into the window, looking up at Bel with unfocused eyes. "Bel-senpai… Why are they in cages…?"

"What?" Bel turned to look where Fran was now pointing. He couldn't say he cared much for the animals the younger seemed upset about as he had never liked anything other than Frogs and Minks – he would have thought his hate towards the majority of living things was obvious with the amount of pets he had stabbed for no reason other than being there for 'target practise'. "What about them?"

Fran pushed himself against Bel, almost as if he was trying to hide from something. He pulled his hand from the bigger one and wrapped his arms around Bel's waist. "They're in _cages…_"

Bel, having never learnt love and affection, just couldn't bring himself to even try to sympathise. They were just stupid _animals, _even lower than people. How the _fuck _could someone even want such a disgusting creature in their lives?

_But Fran's different…_ Bel looked down at the boy was he was able to love. _He knows what it's like to be in a cage… He's not disgusting or stupid – just hurt. And so young. Fuck… he must think those things have feelings like him. _

"Froggy, they're just animals," Bel tried to soothe. He ran his hand through teal hair, really not knowing what to do in this situation. "They don't matter."

"Y-yes, they do!" Fran loudly protested as he pulled away, sticking his bottom lip out. "They're… It's so scary being in a cage…"

_I have no idea what it's like to be in one of those, _the blond acknowledged. _I do know what it's like to be scared, though… Is it really that frightening being locked up in such a small space? _

"H-haven't you…" Fran moved back to cuddle into his boyfriend, whispering softly, "…haven't you ever been put somewhere and not allowed to leave…?"

_Not to that extent…_ Bel felt as if he was slowly understanding what Fran was saying now; he didn't know what it was like to be caged, but locked in a room he couldn't get out of? _Yeah… Plenty of times… Stupid fucking foster parents… lock me in the bathroom all day every day so they didn't have to deal with me… Then there was that sleeze-fuck of a bastard who only wanted me for the money… Snap his annoying bird's neck and he thinks he can keep me locked in the pantry…_

"Bel-senpai?"

Bel shifted from his thoughts, looking down at Fran. He carefully brushed a lock of green hair out of teal eyes, humming softly. "What is it?"

"Can I…" Fran's eyes darted to the ground as he looked at his feet. "…C-can I… go in there…?"

Bel nodded. "If you want to, Froggy."

The blond watched as Fran hesitantly approached the building, almost as if he was too afraid to go in despite having asked. The teenager sighed as he moved back to the boy's side, guiding him in.

Once they had crossed through the doorway, Fran was quick to leave to run the cages he had first seen. He put his face up against the metal bars as he stuck his tiny arm through the gap, trying to pat whatever was in there.

Bel walked back to Fran's side, ducking so he could peek into the cage. _A dog? Yuck. I should turn it into a cactus._

Fran laughed when the puppy licked his hands, a joyous sound the blond hadn't heard from him before. He reached his other arm into the cage, patting the puppy happily.

The younger boy's attention quickly shifted to the kitten that was in the next cage, and Bel could only wish he had a knife. Oh, how he detested these filthy creatures…

"Touching the animals is not allowed."

Fran's shoulders tensed as his body froze at the unfamiliar voice. He quickly pulled his arms back to his side as he pressed himself against Bel, staring at the floor.

Bel wrapped his arms around the frail body. While it was true he himself found no interest in these _things, _Fran had been enjoying himself until one of the workers had approached them. His brunet hair hung in his face as he gave the two stern looks – quickly changing into one of disgust when he realised the relationship between them.

"He's not hurting anyone." Bel struggled to keep himself calm. He had never stood up for anyone but himself before, but it felt _right _to fight for Fran. "Just let him pat them some more."

"It's not allowed, _fag…_"

Bel, who had been ready to leave Fran's side and show that fuck _why _he had been in and out of foster homes and orphanages, quickly stopped when he felt the boy's body shudder violently against him. He could see the way teal eyes had widened as if Fran was going into shock, and he was _scared; _what was happening? Was Fran okay? Was it his fault? So many questions but no _answers._

"Froggy?" Bel placed his hands on trembling shoulders, pushing carefully on the tiny body to see if Fran could move by himself. He was surprised when the kid started walking, as if it had been a cue he had long since reacted automatically to.

Following Fran out of the shop, Bel worried about what was going through the kid's head – it was clear he was scared, but… "Froggy? Stop!"

As soon as said word was spoken, Fran stopped walking. He continued staring at the ground as his body trembled, gathering the attention of bystanders. He didn't pull away when Bel pulled him into a hug but the teenager had heard his startled whimper.

"What's wrong, Froggy?" Bel whispered, leaning down to press his lips to Fran's cheek. "You're scared, aren't you?"

Fran nodded, his foggy eyes clearing at Bel's voice. He raised his arms, silently wanting to be picked up. He wrapped his arms around Bel's neck when the older male did so, memories playing through his mind.

Bel started to walk slowly, holding Fran close to him. He hoped the other would be okay; he didn't want the younger to be so distressed just after they had started having fun and being comfortable with each other.

"…He called us… _t-that…_" Fran whispered, distracting Bel from his thoughts. The blond hummed, encouraging him to keep talking. "…T-those… Those men… _T-they _always told me I was a fag… Does that mean they were right…?"

Bel rubbed his hand against the younger's back, not quite sure what he was doing – he was trying to mimic what Squalo and Luss would do for him on his bad days, hoping it would work. "Froggy is _not _a fag. The prince promises that. Froggy is a froggy and that's all he is. _The prince's _Froggy."

Fran felt a small smile tug at his lips. Bel was right. He didn't even _know _what a fag was, so he would try hard not to think about that anymore because he had Bel now. He wasn't anything _they _told him he was because he was a frog now – _Bel's _frog.

"Senpai…" Fran lifted his head to rub his cheek against Bel's. "Senpai, I still want to see what a game arcade is. Are we still going there?"

"Of course." Bel felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders; his Froggy was smiling again and that in turn made him feel happy – especially with the fact that he had been able to cheer the boy up. "You have to help me win tickets – there's a frog teddy there I've been wanting."

"Tic…kets…? Wow, senpai, there's lots to learn about 'Town'. And do you really like frogs that much?"

"Hey, I love frogs!" Bel poked Fran's nose, eliciting a giggle from the younger. "You haven't seen my froggy pyjamas Luss bought me for my birthday."

"Hey, Senpai, when's your birthday?"

"December twenty-second." The boy puffed his chest out as he continued on. "The prince will be seventeen."

Fran smiled and nestled in closer. "I want to help you get the… t… tick…ets… It will be my birthday present for you."

Bel rested his face in teal hair, chuckling happily. _God, Froggy… I… I really love you… I wish I knew how to tell you that… I just hope you can see it. _


	17. Chapter 17

None of the workers at the Varia had been able to believe just how much progress Bel had made in the half-year Fran had been here for. The blond seemed calmer than he ever had and he seemed to be getting along just a little better with the other kids – though none of them still liked each other, Bel hadn't started many fights with the older kids.

Fran as well seemed much happier than when he had first arrived. He was coming out of his shell and starting to interact with the others easier and less fearfully than he used to.

While the two boys were upstairs together, the workers had gathered together to discuss their future, knowing that with both of them having grown a year older, they couldn't ignore the fact that Bel was almost an adult and might want to leave.

Xanxus sat at his desk while the others crowded around, their voices quiet as to not draw the attention of the kids through the thin walls.

"He's almost eighteen, but that doesn't mean he's ready to be out there by himself…" Tsuna frowned at the thought of all the progress Bel had made depleting without any support. "He's only just settling down and we all know it's only because Fran's here. We can't let him take Fran if he decides he wants to go."

"Voii, the simple thing to do is just keep him here." Squalo crossed his arms against his chest as if it was that obvious.

"But he'll be old enough to decide whether or not he wants to go and if he can provide suitable arrangements for his own living, we can't stop him," Lussuria pointed out.

"Just let the trash go," Xanxus added in. "If he wants to stay or go, it's his business. Nothing we can do about it."

Knowing there was no arguing with Xanxus, Squalo quickly moved the subject along. "What about Fran? We can't let him go with Bel."

"Maybe we should talk to Fran and see if he'd be happy staying with Mukuro and Chrome if Bel does leave?" Tsuna suggested.

"He'll kick up a fuss," Squalo pointed out. "They're basically joined at the hip now."

"Squalo's right, dear," The chef agreed. "When I go in to check on them at night, they're always sleeping together in Bel's bed. I tried to tell Fran he needs to sleep in his _own _bed but he started crying and protested."

Xanxus had his eyes closed throughout the discussion, not wanting to take part in it. He cared about the kids he had agreed to take in, but he was far from the kind of man who would show the slightest bit of that care out in the open.

"Voii, Gaylord, you let them get too close too fast!" Squalo started shouting, unable to admit that he also had a role to play in this and instead blaming his faults on the others. "Did you _not _notice you've been letting a ten year old play dating with a seventeen-year-old? And when Bel turns eighteen, what are you going to do about that? He's still going to want to be with Fran – and it's far from legal, even right in the beginning."

Tsuna, who had always been nervous around the ever-unpredictable Squalo, quietly excused himself to the bathroom, leaving the others to deal with the silver-haired male's yelling.

"Calm down, hun." Lussuria's hands were raised as he tried to calm the other, but Squalo was angered by the knowledge that this was mostly his fault in the first place – _he _had been the one to give in to Bel and Fran's wants and had failed to keep the relationship from advancing too fast. "All of us are at fault here."

Squalo – as much as he wanted to – couldn't argue. He struggled to stop shouting, knowing it wasn't helping and would most likely get a tequila glass thrown at him if he continued.

"We just need to try and wean them off each other," Lussuria pointed out.

At this point, Xanxus pushed himself off his red-cushioned chair and moved to the door, stopping onto to talk to his employees. "Handle this yourselves, trash. I've got a meeting to attend. Have someone bring my throne."

Before the gardener or chef could question where they were supposed to send the 'throne', Xanxus was gone. Lussuria and Squalo looked at each other, silent for the two minutes it took for Tsuna to return now that the shouts had vanished.

"Where's Xanxus?" Tsuna asked, noticing that the chair his boss was always in was empty.

"Boss went out," Squalo stated. "Gaylord came up with a solution, by the way."

Brunet eyes turned to the older male expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

"Wean them from each other," Lussuria repeated himself. "If Bel's truly ready to leave, we'll know once we see how he copes without Fran."

Tsuna nodded. "How are we going to do that?"

"Just keep them separated. I'll have Bel help me with the cooking so I can keep an eye on him."

"But what about Fran?" Worry seeped into Tsuna's soft voice as he tried to imagine how the teal-haired boy would cope – it was no secret he was so attached to Bel he couldn't function properly without the blond.

"He can help me around the house," Squalo volunteered. "I can deal with him better than that little shit."

Tsuna nodded in understanding; Bel was very difficult to take care of and Squalo's short temper didn't make it any easier for him. "I'm taking Lambo, Gokudera and Ryohei out to meet up with Yamamoto. Should I tell the boys you two are looking for them?"

"If you may, hun. Tell Bel that Mama Luss needs help in the kitchen."

"And tell Fran what-fucking-ever." Squalo pushed himself off the couch he had been sitting on, sick of the conversation. "I'll be wherever the fuck I am."

Tsuna blinked at the taller male, watching as Squalo took his exit. Looking over to the cook, he smiled back, feeling most comfortable around him due to his easy-going nature.

"I'll tell them now."

_**~~Bel and Fran~~**_

Bel sat on his bed, his back resting against the wall as he held Fran on his lap, reading a book to him. Fran, having never been taught, didn't know how to read and despite his dislike for books, Bel was willing to read to him.

Fran's teal eyes scanned the pictures as he listened carefully to everything Bel was saying, rather intrigued by what he was hearing. He didn't know exactly what the book he had asked Tsuna to buy for him was about, but he liked the picture of the duckling on the cover, his like for animals showing.

"And then the ugly duckling-" Bel was cut off by Fran's curious voice.

"Senpai, why does everyone treat the duckling like he's ugly?" There was a look in Fran's eyes Bel had long-since become accustomed to – empathy.

"I don't know, Froggy," Bel replied back in a soft tone. He leant down and pressed his lips to the smaller ones before he spoke again. "The prince knows what you're thinking and he thinks you have a kind heart."

Fran smiled happily, knowing it was very hard for Bel to acknowledge these things openly. He snuggled back into the other's chest, waiting for the blond to start reading again.

"And then the ugly duckling – really?" Bel glared at the door that was being opened, frustrated that his time with the younger was being ruined. "Whoever that is had better fuck off right now or the prince will turn you into a cactus."

Tsuna poked his head into the room, an apologetic look in his eyes. "Sorry, Bel, but Lussuria wants you down in the kitchen."

Bel made a strangled whining sound as he buried his face into the crook between Fran's neck and shoulder. He bit down on the skin, growling possessively as Fran moaned. When he looked back at Tsuna, he snarled, "Tell him the prince is _busy." _

The brunet blushed but he shook his head, knowing he had to get them away from each other. He looked away when Bel's hands started to roam his younger partner's body suggestively and he _knew _this was one of the reasons this had to _stop. _

"Belphegor, this is important." Tsuna had to put his foot down on this matter, especially when Fran let out a squeak as fingers rubbed against his chest. "Luss needs your help in the kitchen."

Bel sighed, knowing the brunet wasn't about to give up. Pushing Fran off his lap, he stood up. "Come on, then, Froggy. Let's go see what Gaylord wants."

"Fran needs to stay here." Tsuna could admit he was scared of Bel – anyone in their right mind would be – but he knew he had to assert that he was the adult and should be respected.

Bel growled again, crossing his arms against his chest. "Then the prince won't go."

"_Belphegor!" _Tsuna hated shouting at the kids but sometimes it was needed. "Do as you're told!"

"I am a prince!" Bel shouted back stubbornly. "You can't tell him what to do!"

"Bel…" Tsuna sighed, reaching a hand up to rub at his face. "…Bel, Luss wants you to help him, and Squalo needs Fran's help."

"Why can't _you _do it, peasant?"

"Because I'm leaving with the other kids. No one else will be here."

Bel grumbled before he turned around and pulled Fran's body into his. He crushed his lips against smaller ones, demanding entrance. When it was given, he ravaged the hot cavern, his dominating characteristic highlighted.

Tsuna could only watch with horrified eyes, not knowing what to do. _This needs to stop… S-should I say anything? Pull them apart? What do I do?_

The brunet didn't need to say anything as Bel pulled away when he knew Fran needed air – the kid's lungs weren't strong enough to be able to kiss as long as his lover could.

"I'll see you soon, Froggy." Bel was placid as small arms wrapped around his middle briefly before Fran went off in search of Squalo. Turning to look up at the Varia worker, he glared hatefully. "You're a real ass, stupid peasant."

Tsuna didn't get a chance to say anything back as the blond was already storming off towards the stairwell, cursing under his breath. _No wonder Squalo volunteered for Fran… Good luck getting him to listen, Lussuria._

_**~~Kitchen~~**_

Lussuria could hear the tell-tale rampage of Bel's approach a mile away despite the noise he was making as he pulled pots and pans out of the cupboard. He looked up when the kitchen door slammed against the wall, and he couldn't help but smile at the death-glare he _knew _was there.

"Welcome, hun." Lussuria gestured to the pantry. "Mind getting me some of the ingredients? The list is on the counter."

Bel stomped towards the pantry, still uttering hateful words. He ripped the pantry door open before slamming it shut again, turning to face Lussuria. He was smart, and he knew there would be no reason for them to be separated like this – both Lussuria and Squalo were very independent and the only time they had help was when one of the other kids asked to do chores for their allowance.

"Why the fuck am I here?" Bel spat.

Lussuria was not one to beat around the bush. Putting the pot he decided he wanted to use on the counter, he met Bel's look of hate. "You've been spending so much time with little Fran, and it's not healthy for either of you."

"What do _you _know, peasant?"

"Bel, I'm much older than you. I've had a lot more experience than you have. It isn't good to be spending so much time with Fran."

"It's because he's young, isn't it?" Bel's hands itched to pull a knife out from the drawer he was standing next to. "That bitchy shark and the boss have already been on my back about this."

"All we're trying to say is that he's so very young, he can't possibly know what he wants and needs." Lussuria turned his back to Bel as he went about his business. "You're doing him damage with letting him experience things he shouldn't yet."

"He's _fine." _Bel's snarl was possessive. "He's happy with the things we do. They're not hurting him."

"Hun." Lussuria's cheerful voice turned serious as he swung back around. "It _is _hurting him. Do you not remember all the things your father did?"

Bel's voice became low, defensive. "That's _different…" _

"No. Tell me, Bel. Did your father ever touch Rasiel?"

_He was _good _to that fuck… _Bel thought grimly, a familiar shudder of fear rolling down his spine. _Rasiel was only too happy to be touched because _he _was never _raped.

"What difference does _that _make?"

"Why do you think your brother did what he did to you?" Lussuria's voice had become gentle now. "It wasn't what _he _did wrong, it's what your _father _did wrong. If Rasiel had never been touched the way he was, I highly doubt he would have done what he did."

"Don't you _dare _try and compare that with Fran!" Bel shouted. "You're trying to tell me I'm a monster, too, aren't you?! Well, I don't _want _to be! Why can't you just leave me alone!?"

Lussuria moved forward, pulling Bel into a tight hug. He rubbed the teenager's back soothingly as he tried to hush the younger, feeling the way the blond's body trembled in his hold. "Bel, you just have to know that Fran is too young to be touched the way you touch him. Look at what it did to you and Rasiel…"

"It's different…" Bel whispered, almost as if he was trying to convince _himself. _"…It's… It's not the same… I'm not hurting him, and he likes it…"

"Bel, honey, I know it hurts, but you can't use Fran to make yourself feel better. Remember what he's been through has left its own scars. You might not realise it, but you might be hurting him in a way he doesn't know how to tell you."

Bel didn't reply to this; he just let himself be held by the older male.

"Just let him have some time by himself so he can learn to live without you," Lussuria whispered.

"…I didn't mean to hurt him…" Bel whispered back. He felt hot tears well up in his eyes as he finally realised what Lussuria was trying to convey. "…H-he always seemed happy…"

"I'm sure you didn't mean to, hun," Lussuria soothed. "He loves you very much, and I know you love him back. But you need to wait until he's older before you touch each other. Let him enjoy life while he can."

Bel nodded back weakly, wondering if he _had _been hurting Fran or not. _I… I never asked him to have sex with me because I was sure _that _would hurt him… I've tried so hard to make sure he's comfortable with everything we do, and not make it painful… I think I've just been selfish… Putting my needs before his… _

"Should I…" the voice was so sad and tentative, Lussuria was almost sure it wasn't Bel he was talking to, "…should I stop touching him…?"

Lussuria nodded. "It would be for the best. It's really not good for him to experience this kind of pleasure at his age. It's damaging."

"Okay…"

Lussuria sighed in relief, knowing he had just won an almost-impossible battle with the teenager. The blond allowed him to hold the younger for a few minutes more before Bel started pushing him away, mumbling something about too much contact.

The cook watched as the blond wiped at his wet eyes before he turned back to the pantry, obviously wanting to keep his pride and act as if nothing had happened.

_Thank you for listening, Bel… _Lussuria didn't want to bring the subject back up now that Bel was trying to recover. _I know it's not easy for you to talk about your father or Rasiel, but you did a good job. And I'm so glad you've listened to what I was trying to say. I just… I don't think I could bear it if anything happened to little Fran because you didn't realise you were making things worse. I know that would be devastating for you, and you wouldn't understand what had happened, just because you loved him. You'd never trust anyone ever again – I know you well enough to know that. _

Glancing at Bel who was busy rummaging through the contents of the pantry, Lussuria watched as Bel paused every now and then to rub at his face, wanting to remove all traces of his 'weakness'.

_You're so good to little Fran. _Lussuria smiled at the thought. _You've made him so happy and he in turn with you. I've never seen you truly show your smile for anyone until he came. You were still so traumatised from your family and had never found anyone you could relate to. I think that's why you both get along so well – you both understand the pain. I'm so glad you have each other. You deserve each other._


	18. Chapter 18

When Fran trudged tiredly up to his bedroom long after he usually went to bed, he wondered if Bel would already be asleep or not. He hadn't particularly enjoyed his time with Squalo, not understanding why the man had taken it upon himself to try and make the younger stay away from Bel.

The teal-haired boy knew Squalo was up to something – he had never pried his nose into Fran's business out of the blue before. The long-haired man had quizzed his charge about everything they did together before – in a rather cruel manner – telling him to stop.

Fran hadn't understood why Squalo didn't want him to play his special game with Bel any longer; though it still made him scared and nervous at times, he liked how good it could feel – how Bel was so gentle with his fragile body unlike _them. _

Pushing the door open to his bedroom, Fran poked his head inside, finding Bel lying on his bed with his head under the pillow. His footsteps resounded softly as he padded across the floorboards and seconds later the sound of bed sheets shifting replaced it as the tear-haired boy pulled himself onto the bed.

Fran snuggled in against Bel's side, slipping underneath the covers. He lifted the teenager's arm and wrapped it around himself before he closed his eyes, ready for sleep.

Bel, however, had woken once he felt Fran's body rest against his. Pulling his head out from under his pillow, he blinked at the boy with sleepy eyes.

"You should sleep in your own bed tonight, Froggy…" Bel mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep.

"…" Fran didn't know what to think. Did this have something to do with Squalo's questioning earlier? It was rather odd the two should coincide within a few hours of each other. "Why?"

Bel placed his head back under his pillow, lifting it just enough for his voice to be heard clearly. "Because the prince said so."

"But I want to sleep with you…" Fran nestled closer to Bel, emphasising his point.

_I can't let him get hurt by me any longer… _The blond thought to himself. He clenched his hands, just too tired to put up with this. He knew he had to get Fran away from him before he blew up. "Froggy, the prince is tired… Please, sleep in your bed."

"Did Lussuria talk to you, too?" Fran questioned, not heeding the warning signs that Bel was about to explode. He dismissed the shaking of the stronger body as cold, and the way the bigger hand twitched as if it wanted to reach for something he ignored completely. "Because Squalo –"

"Fuck off!" Bel raised a hand to his mouth after he had managed to hold back from screaming some more. He was glad his self-control had improved over the months because it had been a war stopping himself from grabbing the boy and _hurting _him. He was so tired, so distressed from the day's events he had barely been able to acknowledge who he was talking to anymore. He had only realised his mistake once it was too late – and he couldn't have hated himself more than he did when he noticed the silence he was now drowning in.

Fran didn't know what to do. It was true Bel had shouted at him over their time together, but… This… this was wrong… He had just… asked…

Climbing off Bel's bed, the boy crossed the room soundlessly before he clambered into his own unused one. He slid under the covers and faced the wall, feeling so numb over the event. It reminded him of the time he had found it impossible to freely acknowledge his emotions once he had been taken from the cage.

Bel sat up in bed, not knowing what to do. Should he go over? Should he say something?

"…Hey…" Bel hated how weak his voice sounded. "…Froggy…?"

"Goodnight, Bel-senpai." That was the emotionless answer Bel received.

The blond couldn't sleep that night. It had been a few months since he had felt such a strong urge to end his life and, once he heard Fran start to cry and whimper his name in his sleep, he couldn't help but cry as well.

Bel knew he was a monster but, as hard as he had tried, he hadn't been able to change.

_**~~The next morning~~**_

When Fran woke up, he found he had rolled some time throughout the night to face Bel's bed. He was surprised to see it was empty as the blond was certainly not one for getting out of bed in the mornings.

Getting up, the boy slipped out of bed and left the room. He could still remember the previous night's events but he didn't blame Bel; he understood he shouldn't have pestered him. He wanted to apologise but, in order to do that, he needed to find where Bel was.

Deciding he would check the bathroom that was situated at the end of the hall first, Fran knocked on the closed door, not sure if anyone was in there.

"Who is it?" Chrome's soft voice floated through the door.

Fran stepped back as the door opened, revealing the older girl dressed and holding a hairbrush. "I was looking for senpai."

"I think he's in the office with Xanxus," Chrome offered, smiling shyly.

"Thank you." Fran turned and walked back down the hall, not wanting to make himself known to Xanxus; the man was frightening at the best of times and, if it turned out Chrome had been wrong and Fran disturbed him in the middle of something… The boy shuddered as he thought of the consequences.

_I'll wait for him in our room,_ Fran decided.

After entering the bedroom, Fran was left with the question as to what to do now. What _was _there to do? He felt so lost without Bel by his side, not used to the idea of doing something without him; for the first half of his life he had been unable to do anything to entertain himself by means other than twiddling his thumbs back and forth as he rocked in his cage with his knees hugged tight to his chest.

Now, finally being free of his hell, he had discovered _fun. _The only problem was that he had grown so used to being with Bel, he didn't realise how much he depended on the older male to keep him happy and entertained.

The boy's body started shaking in anxiety as he moved to Bel's bed and climbed onto it, reaching up for the tank Mammon was in. He was much smaller than the blond, and he was having trouble reaching up, even as he stood on his tiptoes.

When at last his near-blind fumbling had knocked the lid open, he tried to angle his hand down so that he could feel where Mammon was; the tank was too high up for him to be able to see – it sat on the windowsill so the frog could get its dose of sunlight.

However, despite the boy's best intentions, Fran held back a gasp as he watched the tank start to tip before it fell to the ground, Mammon still inside.

Fran covered his ears at the crash, the sound of breaking glass almost deafening for him. He was too scared to look but, before he could close his eyes, he noticed the way Mammon lay motionlessly underneath the mess.

The boy screamed as he realised what he had done. He continued to scream as he dropped to his knees and hunched over, his hands still covering his ears. Tears slipped down his cheeks as he scrunched his eyes shut as tight as he could and, even when people entered the room and crowded around, he still did not open them.

It wasn't until the green-eyed boy felt someone pick him up did he look around him. The first thing he saw was that he was in Tsuna's arms, the brunet cradling him as he tried to get his attention. The second thing he noticed was that Bel was crouched by the tank, his hands shaking as he lifted the tank from his best friend gingerly.

The other kids were standing around the room while Xanxus, Squalo and Lussuria tried to shoo them out, not knowing what to expect.

Fran's arms went limp as Tsuna gently pulled his hands away from his ears. He continued to cry as he watched the way Bel lifted the lifeless frog to his chest, cradling it tenderly.

"I-I'm s-sorry…!" Fran choked out, feeling as if he, too, had been crushed by the falling tank. "S-sorry…!"

Bel turned to look at Fran, but he did not speak. His mouth was drawn in a flat line, no hint as to what he was feeling other than his shaking body.

Tsuna carried Fran from the room, leaving the other three to deal with the blond. Fran didn't stop crying until he had managed to cry himself to sleep. The brunet sat on the couch with the teal-haired boy in his lap, not wanting to let go of him. Gokudera sat beside him, their voices low as they talked about what had happened.

"Fran's in for it now," Gokudera muttered. "Frog was deader than anything its owner had mangled to death. Dumb fuck deserves it."

Tsuna shook his head, his brown eyes soft. "Gokudera, don't speak that way about Bel and Mammon. It was an_ accident, _we all know that. And in no way does Bel deserve his pet dying like that."

"It's a _frog." _Gokudera rolled his eyes.

"It was his _friend, _Gokudera. The only friend Bel had until Fran came along. Remember when you lost your cat to one of the neighbourhood dogs? Uri was your only friend, too, wasn't he?"

Gokudera's eyes darkened as he remembered his cat, Uri. It was true he had been devastated when Squalo had told him what had happened – and hadn't Bel reacted in a similar manner? Hadn't the blond belittled him for being so upset over it?

"…Yeah…" Gokudera looked down at his lap, not knowing what to say. "… I-I'm going upstairs…"

Tsuna nodded in understanding as Gokudera left. He hoped the silver-haired teenager understood what he was trying to say – there was only so much Bel could take before his thin string of sanity snapped for good.

_**~~Bel~~**_

_At just six-years-old, Bel had never known what it was like to _not _fear everyone he came into contact with. That was why – after being sent into town to do the groceries – he found himself cowering in fear at the man who was trying to talk to him. He was staring at his feet, his frail arms wrapped around his even frailer body as he trembled violently. He knew if anyone saw the bruises and scars that adorned his body, his father would hurt him again, so he could only hope the clothing that was far too big for him and the scarf he wore were doing a good enough job of hiding everything._

_In the white-haired man's hands, he held a small furry creature Bel had never seen before. He had only caught a glimpse of it to see its fur was white and its body was long. Bel wondered if the man was going to hurt it. _

"_Why are you so scared?" The stranger knelt before Bel, trying to make himself seem less intimidating. "I won't hurt you."_

"_I-I d-don't trust a-adults…" Bel whispered in a quivering voice. "E-especially men…" _

_Bel didn't see the look of understanding that flashed through the man's eyes; he was too busy hunching to try and make himself look smaller._

_The little animal in the lanky man's hands squeaked, gathering the wary attention of Bel. He noticed this, a small smile crossing his face. He couldn't fathom what such a tiny boy would be doing out in the middle of the streets in winter. _

"_Do you like him?" _

_Bel flinched and whimpered as his body convulsed violently with the expectation of pain. It was only so obvious to the man that this boy was traumatised. _

_Speaking again, the stranger hoped he could get through to the child. "This is a mink. I rescued him a few days ago." _

_Bel glanced up at the word 'rescue'. He knew what it implied, but he had never imagined he would find someone who would do such a thing. All those long hours of agony he spent wishing someone – something – would rescue him… A handful of people had seen his suffering but none had cared to help him. _

_Seeing the boy's interest, the white-haired male continued. "His fur was going to be used to clothing. Do you want him?"_

_Bel's mouth opened and closed wordlessly; did… what… but… he… _

"_If you want him, you can have him. I was going to give him to an animal rescue group otherwise. But you have to promise to take good care of him, okay?"_

_Bel nodded silently, reaching out with wary, trembling arms. He was ready to flee at the slightest sign he was going to be grabbed, and he was so preoccupied with trying to protect himself he almost didn't notice as his fingertips brushed soft fur._

_Wrapping his tiny hands around the creature, Bel brought it to his chest. He held it close, tears leaking down his face as he realised that this man had been the first person in his entire life to show him the slightest bit of kindness. _

_Not knowing what to say, Bel nodded at the man before he turned around and ran back to the mansion his family lived in. He had forgotten all about the groceries, so excited about his first friend, and the punishment that was sure to follow hadn't even crossed his mind._

_It took half an hour to get back to his home but, by the time Bel had stepped into the house, his father was waiting with a furious look on his face. _

_Bel started to tremble, much more violent than before, and backed against the wall, his head down as he held the mink. _

"_What is this?" _Slap. _Furious roars sounded between the slaps._ Slap, slap, slap. _"You were told to go get groceries – not bring filthy, disgusting _things _into this house! Animals are stupid, worthless creatures and should have no place in this world! How could anyone ever want such disgusting things in their lives?!" _

_Bel cried as fists pummelled his face, but he was too scared to say or do anything. He could hear the mink in his arms hissing and squeaking, and he hugged it tighter, hoping he could protect it the way no one had wanted to protect _him.

"_Give me that!" _

_Bel screamed and protested as the mink was viciously pulled from his arms. He could only watch in horror as his father wrapped one arm around the mink's neck and the other holding the back legs. His cries of horror as he watched his father torture the animal were drowned out by the mink's own squeaks that slowly faded over time. _

_The blond was frozen in terror, unable to move when the body of the animal he had so desperately wanted to keep was dropped onto his lap._

"_Don't ever let me see you playing with this horrid creatures ever again." _

_Hot tears ran silently down Bel's cheeks, unable to move. He could only stare down at the body in his lap for several minutes until the reality slammed into him like a cement truck. _

_Falling onto his side, Bel vomited. _

"Bel?"

Bel snapped out of his memories at an unexpected voice.

Looking up from where he had been staring at his knees, Bel whispered, "…W-what…"

"…Sorry… about your frog…"

Bel blinked. It really _was _Gokudera standing in the doorway, right? Before he blink to make sure the darkness of his room wasn't playing tricks on him, the other was gone.

_Gokudera… _Bel hadn't been so confused in a while. _…Did Gokudera… apologise for… for Mammon… He _hated _Mammon… But he… apologised…_

What Gokudera would never know was that he had just inadvertently saved the blond's life. Bel had been planning to kill himself that night, and to make sure no one found him. He didn't want to try and get through life without Mammon by his side.

But with the silver-haired teenager's expression of sympathy, Bel had been distracted from the memories, from the pain, trying to work out just why _Gokudera _would be sorry.

_Does… Does he care…? _

_**~~Fran~~**_

When Fran had woken up on Tsuna's lap, the first thing he had wanted to do was apologise to Bel. He knew it had been an accident, but he really liked Mammon and had just wanted to play with him while he waited for Bel.

Standing in front of his door, Fran took a deep breath before he pushed it open, preparing himself for whatever Bel would throw at him – he knew he had just killed the blond's best friend, however unintentional it had been.

"Bel-senpai…?" Fran blinked, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness of the room. There was no light except for the small rays the moon provided. _It's night…? How long had I been out? _The boy could make out Bel sitting out on his bed, his knees drawn to his chest with his arms wrapped around them. "Bel-senpai… I… I'm so sorry…"

"It's not your fault…" Bel sounded exhausted, as if he had been crying for hours. "It was an accident…"

Fran couldn't believe how easy he was getting off right now – he had been almost sure Bel would kill him for what he had done. "But… I…"

"You didn't mean it, Froggy…" Bel whispered. "…I know you didn't mean it…"

Tears welled up in teal eyes at these words; he felt as if he deserved more than this – he had taken a life and it just wasn't fair. Having lived the way he had, Fran knew all life was to be valued, no matter how small. He had been raised in a cage for as long as he could remember, unable to remember if he had even _had _parents. He had been treated so cruelly, no love or affection in his life. He knew what it was like to be nothing to everyone who knew him. He knew what it was like to be made to feel so insignificant. He hadn't known anything more than the fear, the pain, the things he had been used for. But if it weren't for Bel, he wouldn't know what it was like to be wanted, to be loved and treated fairly. They were things that felt so great, he wanted to see the world around him as something he could love and value in return.

"M… M-mammon…"

"Froggy… Come here…"

Fran obeyed, noticing that all evidence of his carelessness had been removed. One of the workers must have cleaned everything up.

Climbing onto Bel's lap, Fran curled into the familiar warm chest. He welcomed the arms that wrapped around him, hoping they could comfort each other.

"…Bel-senpai… I really _am _sorry…"

"I know you are, Froggy…" Bel buried his face in teal hair, trying to stop the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. "…I know you are…"

**A/N Did anyone pick up the similarities between both Bel and his father's thoughts on animals? Just in case no one picked up on that, it was a view Bel learnt from him. **


	19. Chapter 19

**There's about 2-4 chapters left depending on how much of the plot I put into the one chapter. **

Ever since Fran had knocked Mammon's tank from its place, Bel found it even harder to let Fran out of his sights. He feared greatly going back into his room by himself, knowing his best friend wasn't there waiting for him anymore. He was also terrified of the idea of losing Fran, knowing that without the teal-haired boy, he was alone.

As the months passed by and the eve of Bel's birthday arrived, he played with the idea of leaving the Varia. It was true he hated it here, unable to get along with anyone but Fran, but would they let him take Fran if he _did _leave?

The blond was sure he was going to be kicked out whether or not he wanted to leave, unable to believe that the workers could possibly want him to stick around for longer when they weren't legally obligated to keep him there the second midnight ticked on the clock.

Looking down at the boy fast asleep in his lap, Bel frowned. He ran long fingers through teal hair as his heart tore at the idea of leaving him behind. _They won't let me take him with me… They know what I'm like… _

The boys were lazing about on the couch in the living room, having been watching the TV together. Fran had found a real interest in magic – illusions especially – and had quickly learnt the schedule of all programs relating to it. Said boy had been exhausted from having helped Lussuria bake for the older boy's birthday and had quickly fallen asleep with his head in Bel's lap.

Bel sighed as he heard Lussuria call out that dinner was ready. He didn't want to wake Fran but he couldn't let the boy go hungry.

Bel shook the younger's frail body. "Froggy… Froggy, it's time for dinner…"

Teal eyes opened just a crack as Fran moaned, not wanting to move. "S-senpai…"

Bel shifted his hips slightly, feeling a twitch of interest in his groin. Moving his mind away from that train of thought, he pulled Fran to his feet, letting the other lean heavily against him. "Froggy has to eat."

Fran yawned quietly before he nodded, knowing the blond was right. As much as he would have loved to stay curled up on the couch, it would be nice to get some food into his scrawny body.

The smaller boy allowed Bel to escort him into the kitchen, and he was only too happy to take a seat next to said teenager. He looked down at the plate that had been waiting for him, finding a plate of strange-looking food.

The boy poked at the sting-like bits, not knowing what to make of it; he had never seen such food before. "What is this?"

"It's called spaghetti, Fran," Lussuria explained as he made sure everyone had what they needed. "It's an Italian dish."

Fran scrunched his nose up, confused. "But… this is Japan…?"

"Yes, hun, but to celebrate Bel's big day tomorrow, we decided something from our original homeland would be nice."

Fran blinked. He knew the Varia House had relocated across from Italy years back, but why would they use that excuse for Bel's birthday?

"…Did…" Fran frowned, trying to find the right words. He knew what he wanted to ask, but he didn't know how to phrase it.

The cook, who seemed to sense his charge's dilemma, clarified. "Bel was one of our original kids from when we first started Varia House. All the others had eventually left over the years, but Belphegor has been with us for years."

_So Bel was from Italy, too? Come to think of it, I never asked where he was from. _"Oh."

Fran wondered why the organisation had changed their country of residence, but he didn't find it too important to ask; he felt it was better to tackle this strange new food.

Poking with his chopstick at the brown sauce-like substance, Fran twirled a wary strand around his chopstick before raising it to his mouth. The taste was different from what he was used to, but there was something about it that made him want to try more.

By now, Squalo and Xanxus had taken their seats at the table, eating their food without complaint. The other kids were quiet, most of them struggling with their social skills. It was Lussuria – as always – who initiated the conversations and kept them flowing.

"Bel, dear, would you like to do anything for your birthday?" Lussuria smiled at the boy, hoping to steer clear of the conversation of Fran; it wouldn't do at all to cause distress or a commotion so close to a special day for one of the boys he saw as his children.

Bel just shrugged. "The prince doesn't care."

Lussuria sighed inwardly; it had always been that way for him, never caring for his birthday – or any celebrations for that matter. He imagined it had to do with the way he had been raised as he could remember their first birthday with Bel.

Both Lussuria and the other two men had bought Bel everything they thought he might want, but it had all just been received with a cold, mistrustful glare as the boy slunk back into his room. Even on Christmas the boy had – and still did – stand in the doorway and watch with a sad expression on his face, almost as if he had expected to be left out and unwanted.

"But surely there's something we could do for you that you'd enjoy, hun." Lussuria, as always, never gave up in trying to get the blond to open up.

"The prince just wants to be with his Froggy…"

Lussuria could hear the sad, longing tone in the younger's voice, and he knew Bel well enough to know that he was _scared _of the upcoming celebration – but what he was scared of, he wasn't sure.

_**~~That night~~ **_

"Hey, Froggy?"

"Yeah?"

The two were lying in Bel's bed together, the teal-haired boy's head on Bel's chest.

Licking his lips in uncertainty, the blond spoke his worry. "...If... If I leave Varia, you would come with me, right...?"

"Of course, Bel-senpai." Fran's voice was heavy with sleep, but Bel knew the younger meant what he said.

"What if... What if they wouldn't let you? Would you still try and come with me?"

"Of course. Can we sleep now? I'm tired..."

Bel nodded, running his hand along Fran's back. "Goodnight, Froggy..."

"Goodnight, senpai."

As Bel closed his eyes and tried to fall into a sleep that just wasn't coming to him, he couldn't help but fear what tomorrow would bring.


	20. Chapter 20

**This is the second last chapter. There will be an epilogue next chapter. **

**Also, warnings for this chapter; rape, upsetting themes. **

After Bel had opened the presents he had been given for his birthday, he had gone straight back up to his room in silence, carrying what he had received hesitantly, not knowing how he was supposed to feel – he knew he wasn't well liked amongst the other kids, so why had they all bought him such nice things?

Fran was still downstairs with the others, leaving Bel alone with his thoughts. He knew he would have to talk with Xanxus and Squalo about what he was going to do with his future – all the other kids who he had been here with had done so once they turned eighteen – and it made him nervous; what if they said no to Fran leaving with him?

The blond could hear someone following him up the stairs but he didn't turn to see who it was; he didn't want to talk to anyone but Fran.

Turning into his room, the blond dropped his presents to the floor. He was honestly grateful for them, but he was lazy and didn't want to put them away. If he was lucky, Fran would do it for him.

The now-eighteen year old didn't stay in his room for long and, when he went to walk out to go back downstairs, he bumped into Ryohei who had been coming from his own bedroom.

When Ryohei shoved him, hatred and anger ran through the blond. The grey-haired male always seemed to have it out for him – and him only. Sasagawa never fought with anyone else, but any chance he had to make Bel's life more miserable than it already was, he would take it without hesitation.

"You can get the hell out now," Ryohei said to the older teenager. "You're not wanted here. You only got stuff from us because Xanxus made us buy you things. We all hate you to the extreme."

"You don't have to tell me that to my face – I can see it for myself, you asshole." Bel gritted his teeth, trying his hardest to keep his temper in check; he honestly didn't want to fight – he just wanted to go back to Fran and hug and kiss him.

"Just go kill yourself," Ryohei snarled, shoving Bel again. He sneered when the blond lost his footing and fell, his elbow making a nasty crunching sound as it collided with the corner of the doorway. He felt no sympathy when Bel let out a yelp of pain, his breath hitching. "We'd have all been happier without your useless ass around."

Bel was silent as pain shot through his right arm. He could remember his father telling him things almost word for word all those years ago, and he could do nothing to stop the terror that was quickly overwhelming him.

Ryohei could only smirk in triumph as he noticed how Bel's body started quivering. Leaning down, he reached out to grab a handful of blond hair, pulling the older male's face close enough to he could spit in it.

Bel was barely conscious as he pushed himself forward, his hand clenching into a fist as he started fighting against what, in his mind, he could only perceive as his father. However, Ryohei was much stronger than what his scrawny body could handle, and it took the younger male next to no effort to pin Bel to the ground with his own muscled body.

Bel gasped as his eyes widened, the familiar feel of someone's body on top of his causing him to panic. Scratching, punching, slapping – whatever could get Ryohei off Bel, the blond would try it.

"Get off!" the eighteen-year-old screamed continuously, lost in the memories. "Get off me!"

Ryohei didn't heed the screams and instead fought back, his own enjoyment for fighting shining through.

Fists and blood flew everywhere as Ryohei attacked and Bel receded into the deepest depths of his traumatised mind, something he hadn't done in quite a while.

By the time help had rushed upstairs and separated Ryohei from the blond, Bel had already curled up into a bloodied ball, quivering violently as tears slipped down pale cheeks. He whimpered repeatedly, too scared to open his eyes and look around him.

Squalo was screaming at Ryohei for starting fights with Bel on his birthday and Lussuria and Tsuna were trying to move the other kids away from the scene. Xanxus watched with cold eyes, leaving it up to his subordinates to fix the mess.

Fran slipped past Tsuna's side and approached the now-silent Bel, tears welling up in his eyes as he noticed the blood that was coating his hair red.

"Bel-senpai?" Fran leant down and put his tiny hands on Bel's shoulder. He was unprepared for the horrified scream that erupted from the older male's throat, and he couldn't help but hate himself for what he had just caused.

"Come away, Fran," Lussuria called out, finally convincing Lambo and Gokudera to return to their rooms. "Bel needs to be by himself."

Fran moved back to Lussuria's side and, when the cook picked him up and starting walking away, he couldn't help but notice everyone was leaving Bel where was he.

"Why is no one helping Bel-senpai…?" Fran whispered.

"Bel will go to his bedroom when he's ready, hun," Lussuria explained. "He doesn't want anyone to touch him when he's like this because it scares him."

_I don't think it's nice of them to leave him alone… _Fran thought to himself. _What if he wants someone to sit with him? _

Fran knew he couldn't leave Bel by himself – it wasn't fair when the blond was so scared and upset. If _he _were in that state, he'd want someone with him, too.

Lussuria didn't question why Fran was quiet as they walked into the living room; he was sure the younger was trying to understand. He smiled, heartened by how sweet the boy in his arms was.

"Can you stay down here until Bel comes down by himself?" the man asked as he deposited the teal-haired kid onto the couch. "Let him be until he comes to you, Fran. He's very… _sick _at the moment, and he won't be himself."

"What do you mean?" Fran blinked innocently up at the cook, not understanding what Lussuria meant.

"Bel doesn't understand where he is at the moment. His mind regressed to an earlier time in his life where he was suffering. But once he comes out of that state, he's usually hypersensitive to effects of the trauma. He can be… well, _dangerous _at these times. He can't recognise anyone and because of that, he tries to take his anger and pain out on anyone and everyone. He needs to be alone so he can calm down in a safe environment – safe for both him and everyone else.

Fran nodded. He had heard loud and clear what his carer had said about Bel being dangerous, but he didn't think the blond would hurt him. Maybe he could go upstairs and help cheer Bel up?

Knowing Lussuria wouldn't let him if he asked, Fran lied to the man. "I'll stay down here, Luss… I understand…"

"Thank you, hun." Lussuria patted green hair before he went back to what he was doing before all of this had happened.

Fran, however, waited until the cook was preoccupied before he slipped off the couch and made his way upstairs, careful to avoid any sound so he didn't catch anyone's attention.

When the boy reached the top of the stairs, he noticed Bel had disappeared from where he had been curled up in a ball. _He must have gone into the room. _

Fran opened the door and poked his head in. He could see that the bedroom light had been turned off so, flicking the switch, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

"Bel-senpai?" Fran tilted his head as he noticed the way Bel sat on his bed, staring down at his lap. "Are you okay?"

Bel looked up at the boy's soft voice, but he didn't speak. Instead, he got to his feet and moved to Fran's side, sizing the boy up like a piece of meat.

"Senpai?" Fran felt uneasy beneath the blond's gaze. For once, he felt _scared _of the older male, and he wanted to leave – _now. _"Senpai, I… I got to go…"

Turning around, Fran reached for the doorhandle, but Bel was quick to slap his hand away. With a startled whimper, teal eyes turned to hidden ones as if searching for an answer.

Before Fran could say anything, Bel's hands gripped his shoulders tightly as long, slender fingers dug in hard enough to leave bruises.

"Senpai…" Fran whimpered again, trying to struggle free of the grip. He could feel his heart starting to race, knowing he should have listened to Lussuria. "Senpai, you're hurting me… Please, let go…"

The eighteen-year-old dragged Fran to the bed, throwing him onto it before climbing on top of him, trapping the smaller body beneath his. "What he did to me wasn't _fair…" _he hissed, his voice deadly.

Fran shivered, wondering if he should shout for help – but he had never seen Bel like this; something told him if he tried to get help, the blond would hurt him.

"It hurt and he never _stopped…!" _Bel continued on, his hand trailing down Fran's body and resting on the boy's hip. "I _hate _him for it!"

When Fran felt a hand slip beneath his pants, he knew this was wrong. It wasn't the same as what they used to do together – it was like what _they _did to him.

Placing his tiny hand upon Bel's, Fran whispered in a frightened voice, "Please don't, senpai…"

Tears welled up in Fran's eyes as Bel didn't stop, the unfamiliar feeling of fingers tracing his most sacred area terrifying him. He had never been touched there, and he didn't want to be.

"Senpai, please… S-stop...!"

"Everything will be okay," Bel whispered with a mocking tone. "He told me that when he first did it to me. Do _you _think everything will be okay?"

_I-I don't think he even realises who I am…! _At this realisation, Fran had never felt so scared of Bel as he did right now. "Senpai, it's me! F-fran…"

Bel scoffed. "Fran? Who the fuck is Fran?" With that said, he forced a finger inside the boy, provoking a horrified whimper of pain.

"S-stop!" Fran cried out, trying to shove Bel away from him, but he wasn't strong enough.

"I changed my mind." Fran knew the older male was toying with him now. "I don't want to prepare you."

Fran watched as Bel unzipped his pants and pulled out his hardened member. _O-oh no… I-is he… Is he going to put that inside of me…? _

Ripping his boy's pants from his hips, Bel aligned himself with the younger's entrance. He smirked, knowing the boy was tense – it would hurt this kid beneath him, just like it hurt _him. _

Thrusting his hips forward, Bel moaned as he sheathed himself inside the boy he had no idea was the one he loved most. He felt the tightness around him, the blood that was spilling arousing him even more – he needed blood, more blood, as much blood as he could get.

Fran screamed in agony, having never experienced pain like this before. His tiny hands pushed at Bel but he couldn't budge the other. He thrashed and writhed, trying to get away as the other's hips rocked violently into him, blood pooling on the mattress around them.

As Bel thrust as hard and as fast as he could possibly manage into the tiny body beneath him, he raised a wrist to his mouth. He bit as hard as he could, trying to draw his own blood, his mind hazy as he fought against his own trauma.

Fran screamed and cried beneath the older male, feeling as if he were being torn in half. He wanted it to stop, but as hard as he screamed, Bel wouldn't listen. He couldn't handle this new pain; it was too much on his fragile body.

_Someone, kill me! I-it hurts! Make it stop! Make it _stop!

**~~Down the hall~~**

Mukuro and Chrome, who were the only two apart from Bel still upstairs, had come running as soon as they heard Fran's screams. They could only imagine what the blond was doing to him in this state – there were several times Bel's trauma had gotten so bad, they had started calling him 'Prince the Ripper' for the way he tried to deal with it.

Kicking the door open, Mukuro and Chrome didn't need to ask questions – they could see exactly what was happening.

Chrome put her hand to her mouth in horror while Mukuro charged forward, tackling the blond off the boy he had come to see as his little brother. Fran curled up into a ball, shaking as he cried, while his attacker rolled onto the floor, brawling with the blue-haired teenager.

Fran's screams had been enough to draw everyone back upstairs, but Chrome was the first person to approach Fran and pull him into her arms, tears welling in her eyes as she saw all the blood flowing from the boy's torn body.

Mukuro knew Bel was so lost he had no idea what was going on – it was dangerous to leave him unrestrained.

Pinning Bel to the floor, Rokudo managed to explain the situation briefly to Xanxus and Squalo who were approaching but, before the two adults could grab Bel and keep him contained, the blond knocked Mukuro away and got to his feet, running from the room.

Squalo tried to chase after him but it was no good; Bel was fast and the blond had escaped from the house before he could even get to the stairs.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, the silver-haired male knew he had no other choice but to call Hibari and have him help look for the uncontrollable teenager before anything else happened.

Xanxus knew Squalo was going on the lookout for their escapee, and knowing he himself couldn't control his emotions, left it up to Tsuna and Lussuria to try and console Fran.

Tsuna was the one who, as carefully as he possibly could, pulled the boy into his arms and carried Fran into the bathroom, tending to his wounds. He grabbed some soft pads from the medical cabinet and, as gently as he could, used it to wipe away the blood.

Fran whimpered and fidgeted, but he allowed Tsuna to try and treat his injury, knowing the brunet was too kind-hearted to try and hurt him.

Once most of the blood had been wiped away, Sawada held a pad to the injured area as he moved to fill the bathtub with warm water, hoping to soothe the pain for the boy before he called Shamal to make a home visit; he knew Fran – as sheltered as he was – had only been in a hospital enough times to count on one finger, and after such a distressing event, he didn't want to take the kid there and stress him further.

_Poor Fran… _Tsuna held the victimised child closer to him as he waited for the bathtub to fill, rubbing the sobbing boy's back soothingly. _He's been through so much… And Bel… He's so lost, and now… _

_I sincerely hope they'll both be okay after this – as much as I doubt it…_

**~~Bel~~**

Bel sobbed into his knees as he sat by the river forty minutes from the Varia House. His mind had cleared, and he could remember exactly what he had done.

_I didn't mean it, Froggy…_ Bel thought, trying to contain his thoughts. _I-I… I didn't even know who you were… I just… I just wanted everything to end… I'm so sorry…! I'm so _fucking _sorry…! I don't deserve your love after this…! I… I'm… so… sorry…_

Footsteps crunched across the grass as Hibari and Dino approached Bel from behind. Hibari – by his nature – didn't attempt to try and understand why the blond had done what he had. Dino, however, sat silently by the younger male, looking out over the river.

"They're all worried about you, y'know?" Dino broke the silence after a few minutes. "Squalo's still looking for you, even after all these hours you've been gone. Xanxus is searching, too. Should I tell them where you are or would you rather more time out here?"

Bel shook his head, tears still rolling down his cheeks. He hugged his knees tighter as he rocked back and forth. He needed someone to talk to, and he knew from experience how helpful and kind Dino was. "…I was so much… like my father… I played with his head before I… Before I took his purity away… I'm a monster… I don't deserve him…"

Dino hummed thoughtfully, wrapping his arm around Hibari when the skylark sat next to him. "I don't think that's exactly true."

Bel turned to look at Dino in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"He means the difference between you and him is that your father knew exactly what he was doing, while you didn't," Hibari answered for his lover.

"Thank you, Kyouya." Dino kissed his boyfriend's lips before turning his attention back to the troubled teen. "Squalo told me that Fran understands. He knows he should have listened to Lussuria when he was told to stay away."

"…He hates me, doesn't he…?" Bel felt a fresh wave of tears slide down his cheeks. "…I'm… I never… meant to hurt him…"

"So this is where you are."

Three heads turned when an unexpected voice sounded from behind them. They came face-to-face with a sad-looking Yamamoto, surprised to see him here.

Taking a seat on the other side of Bel, Yamamoto spoke again. "Tsuna was really distressed when he told me what happened. He asked if I could help look for you."

Dino smiled at these words, nudging Bel with his elbow. "See? Look at how many people care about you. You have me and Kyouya, and even Takeshi. I bet your dad would never have had this many people care about him. Surely that helps you understand you're not like him."

"…" Bel just rested his face on his knees, trying to hold back his sobs.

Yamamoto, as carefree as he always is, wrapped his arm around Bel's shoulders, hugging him tightly. "I heard about what happened."

"…" When Bel looked up, he stared out over the river once more, shivering as the cold night air sent shivers through him.

Dino noticed this and removed his brown jacket, resting it over the boy's frail body. "Fran's going to be okay, if that's what you're thinking of, Bel."

"…He's going to hate me…" Before the blond had met Fran, he could live with being hated – but the one person he didn't want to hate him was Fran.

"He doesn't hate you," Hibari spoke.

"Yeah, Tsuna told me he's been asking for you," Yamamoto chipped in. "Poor little guy doesn't want to sleep until you come back."

Bel couldn't understand this – shouldn't Fran hate him after what he had done? Why was he acting as if it were insignificant? "I…"

"I don't think Fran knows how to hate," Dino said, voicing his thoughts out loud. "He just seems so content with his life at the moment. I think all he wants is some food and somewhere warm to sleep, and he's happy."

Bel sighed as he shook his head. "…It doesn't matter… I can't go back…"

"They all love you at Varia," Yamamoto said softly. "They always talk about how far you're coming along and how proud they are of you."

"And if you've had a bad day, they always seem to mention at the most random of times how worried they are about you." Dino smiled.

"They won't show it, but they care about your wellbeing." Hibari mumbled, not used to talking so civilly to people he didn't respect.

"The kids aren't like that…" Bel whispered. "They all hate me."

"I remember once upon a time," Dino started, tilting his head back to look up at the sky, "a young Bel who seemed to have a death wish. That Bel was always cutting his wrists and trying to kill himself, and so many long days did he have to stay in the hospital. I remember when I was helping Tsuna and Yamamoto out with looking after the kids while Xanxus, Squalo and Lussuria stayed with him at the hospital, all of those kids seemed to fret all day and night about whether or not young Bel would be okay. They'd always ask if I had heard anymore news, and some of them even cried at the thought of losing their blond friend."

Bel blinked, having never heard this before. Did those kids… _care…? _But what about… Ryohei always told him to kill himself…

"But… Sasagawa…"

Dino smiled at this. "Ryohei was the one who worried most, every single time. He looks up to you in a lot of ways, but I don't think he knows how to express this, so he can only let his fear of losing you get in the way of how he really feels."

"…Have I…" Bel hugged himself as realisation dawned upon him. "I've… I've been blind this whole time… I've really… had _friends…?"_

"They're a bit rough around the edges when it comes to how they show their feelings, but they've always looked up to you."

"Why would they look up to someone like me?" Bel honestly couldn't understand this. "I'm… I'm such a sick person…"

"They look up to you in ways you couldn't imagine, Bel," Yamamoto explained. "After all, you're their prince, right?"

Bel nodded. "…I… I don't want to go back to the Varia… Can you tell them I've left?"

"You can tell them that yourself," Hibari said.

Bel frowned at the thought of going back. "…I…"

"If you go back just to tell them you want to leave, they won't stop you," Dino explained. "They all knew you'd want to leave as soon as you could, and they'll let you go because they know it will make you happier."

"…Okay…"

Dino smiled as he helped Bel to his feet. "We'll take Kyouya's car."

Yamamoto reached out and ruffled blond hair, his usual happy grin on his face. "I hope whatever you do from now makes you happy. Look after yourself, kid."

Bel nodded at the dark-haired male before he followed Dino and Hibari to the police cruiser that was parked alongside the road.

_I'll have to say goodbye to Froggy while I'm there… _Bel's throat caught in a lump as he tried to swallow his emotions. _…I… After what I've done, I understand what Lussuria and Squalo tried to tell us… I can't be around him any more…_

_Froggy… I'm going to miss you…_

**~~Varia~~**

Bel stared down at his feet as the eyes of all the occupants of Varia House – minus Fran and Mukuro who were together in the blue-haired male's bedroom – fixed on him. Hibari and Dino were standing behind the blond, the Italian male's hand on Bel's shoulder.

"…I've decided I want to leave…" Bel said quietly, avoiding all eye contact. "…I… I had a talk with Dino and the others… I realise now I've been an important person here, and I… well, I acknowledge that now… But after what happened with Fran and I… I think it's better for us to go our separate ways… Can you look after him for me…?"

Lussuria, who was sitting on the couch crying into a handkerchief, nodded. He adored Bel, knowing the blond was special to him, but as the old saying goes, 'If you love something, set it free'. Xanxus, Squalo and Tsuna who were standing around the living room, couldn't help but feel the emptiness in their hearts.

Even the kids, who on the best of days would treat the blond as inferior, didn't want him to leave.

"We'll handle your living expenses," Xanxus spoke. "We'll pay for you to sleep in a room somewhere for the night. There will be a house for you by midday."

Bel nodded. "…I… I want to say bye to Froggy…"

No one stopped him as the blond headed to the stairs. They understand the two would need to talk in private, and they weren't going to intrude upon that.

When Bel was standing in front of Mukuro's bedroom door, he was almost too afraid to knock. When he did, however, he only waited a few seconds for Rokudo to open the door.

When heterochromatic eyes fixed on Bel, Mukuro wasn't too sure what to say. He hesitantly stepped away from the door, allowing the blond entrance.

Bel moved to Chrome's bed where Fran was laying, the covers drawn up to his chin. His teal eyes watched warily as the blond moved to sit on the bed beside him.

"Hey, Froggy…" Bel felt awkward, not knowing what to say. "…I, uh…"

"I forgive you…" Fran whispered, sensing Bel's uneasiness. "…I… I should have listened to Lussuria…"

"…Froggy…" Bel scratched the back of his neck, too scared to reach out and touch the boy in fear of how Fran would react. "…I… I won't be at the Varia anymore…"

"What?" Teal eyes filled with tears as the boy tried to push himself into a sitting position, only to whimper in pain before laying back down. "I don't want you to leave, senpai… I want you to stay here…"

"Froggy, we can't see each other anymore," Bel gently explained. "I hurt you, and no matter what, I should never have lost control like that… I need to be by myself so I can try and heal from everything I've been through… Do you understand?"

Fran nodded, knowing what it was like to feel lost. "…Will we ever see each other again…?"

Bel blinked back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. Reaching out to push a lock of teal hair out of Fran's eyes, he leant down and placed a kiss on the boy's forehead. "I'll make you a promise. Okay?"

Fran nodded. "Okay…"

"…On your eighteenth birthday, I'll come and visit you and see how you're doing. But until then, I need that time to find myself."

"Okay, senpai… Can… Can I have one last kiss before you go…?"

At these words, Bel couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Leaning forward to press his lips against pale ones, Bel wondered how he'd ever be able to live without Fran – but for the younger's happiness and wellbeing, he had to try.

Pulling away, Bel leant forward to rest his forehead against Fran's. Looking into teal eyes, he whispered, "If there's ever anyone who makes you as happy as you can be… and can take care of you better than I ever could… I'll be happy for you, Froggy… I love you…"

"I love you, too, Bel-senpai…"

Bel stood up and turned to leave, wiping the tears that slid down his cheeks away. He nodded at Mukuro in a silent farewell, finding it difficult to keep walking as Fran started crying. As he closed the bedroom door behind him, Bel heard Mukuro try and console the boy.

_All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy, Froggy… If forgetting about me is what it takes… I'll understand… But I'll always love you… Be happy, my Frog… _


	21. Chapter 21

**So here's the epilogue. There will be side-stories here and there for this fic on occasion. **

**Also, on a similar note, I have a poll on my profile. I'd appreciate it if you guys would take it so I can see what fandoms people want me to work in most. **

**Thank you for all the support regarding this story; it's been fun.**

As lonely and hard as the past seven years had been, Bel greatly looked forward to tomorrow. Finally, after so long, he would get to see Fran again, and it would be even more special since it would be the younger boy's eighteenth birthday.

Bel was curled up in his double bed, his thoughts on what Fran would look like now that he was much older and should surely have grown out of his childish looks. The teal-haired boy was adorable when he had been so young, but now that the blond was twenty-six, he was able to control his sexual thoughts relating to the younger, trying to imagine how he would now look whenever the man masturbated to thoughts of Fran.

_I wonder if he's grown his hair out. _Bel smiled as he tried to picture teal hair resting on frail shoulders. _He wanted to grow it a tad longer. And if he's put on any weight; he was always so skinny. _

Bel's obscured eyes stared at the television before him, but he wasn't taking anything in; he was so excited about seeing Fran again.

_I hope he likes my present… It's been so long; I hope he still likes magic. _

Bel knew he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight – he was just too excited.

Resigning himself to the fact that he was going to be awake for quite a while, Bel grabbed the TV remote that was sitting beside him, flicking through the channels until he found the one he wanted.

Wanton moans and gasps filled the air as Bel unzipped his pants and pulled his soft member out. His eyes were glued to the screen as he wrapped his hand around himself, pumping slowly until he was fully hard.

Closing his eyes, Bel imagined a scenario where he and his beautiful Fran were making love together. He pictured Fran sprawled out on the bed, his scrawny body naked and awaiting his touch.

Pumping his hand faster as Bel visualised the teal-haired teenager touching himself in eagerness. He bit back a moan as the image went straight to his twitching groin, his hand working faster along his shaft.

"F-fran…" Bel moaned softly as he arched his back ever-so-slightly, rocking his hips into his own hand. He squeezed the base lightly before he lowered his free hand and ran it over his balls, cupping them in his large palm.

The moans and cries from the program across the room sent shivers down the blond's spine as he felt his stomach tighten, his orgasm nearing.

"Fran…" Bel licked his lips as he tried to remember the feel of the teal-haired boy's lips on his, wanting desperately to be able to kiss him again.

With a soft groan, sticky hot liquid spurted out over his hand, the evidence of his climax staining blood-red sheets.

Sighing happily to himself, Bel pulled his knees to his chest, not bothering to clean himself up, as he closed his eyes. He reached blindly for the remote, clicking the power button and, once it was quiet in his room except for his breathing, he whispered, "I love you, Fran…"

Tired from his earlier activities, the blond slipped into a light sleep, memories of Fran running through his mind.

_**~~Varia House, the next morning~~**_

Fran slept soundlessly in his bed as Lussuria creeped into the room with a large smile on his face. He leant down by the boy's side and reached out, shaking a frail shoulder gently.

"Fran~" Lussuria whispered, trying to coax Fran back into the world of the living. "Fran, honey, it's time to wake up."

Teal eyes opened slowly before they blinked a few times, their owner trying to fight the drowsiness. "Lussuria, it's…" glancing at the clock on his bedside table, Fran frowned before finishing his sentence, "…it's almost lunchtime. Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"It's your special day, hun." Lussuria wrapped his arms around the teenager, hugging him tightly. "And since you're the only child we have left at the moment, we decided we'd treat you just a tad more special than we usually would."

_That's right… _Fran thought as he rubbed his eyes. _I was the youngest, excluding Lambo, and he was adopted by Tsuna's friend, Kyoko… It's just me and the adults…_

"Get dressed and then come down stairs." Lussuria clapped his hands together in excitement. "You have to open your presents before Bel comes to pick you up."

A small smile crossed Fran's face at Lussuria words. He appreciated the presents, but what he was really looking forward to the most was seeing Bel again. He had missed the older male so much, but he knew the blond needed to be by himself and it was better for both of them for it to be this way. Still, that knowledge had never been enough to stop him from waking up during the night crying in loneliness.

Lussuria hummed happily to himself as he left the room, knowing today would be extra special for the boy. _He's going to be so surprised when he sees what a huge improvement Bel's made in his recovery. Even we couldn't believe it at first. _

Fran clicked his tongue as he sorted through his clothing. He wanted to look good for Bel, but he didn't want to overdo it; he didn't see the point in going all out when they were just going to have lunch and then go shopping.

After a few minutes, the teal-haired boy decided on some jeans, a black t-shirt and a brown jacket. He brushed his hair for a few seconds, only bothering to get the knots out, before he made his way downstairs, eager to open his presents.

Tsuna, Xanxus, Squalo and Lussuria were sitting on the couches, each holding their presents as they waited for Fran to sit down.

"We didn't go all-out this year as there are no other kids to enjoy your presents with," Lussuria explained as he handed his present to the boy, "but we're pretty sure Bel will make up for it with just coming to see you."

Fran smiled gratefully as he took the present. He didn't mind if they hadn't gotten him lots of things – he'd be happy with them just spending the morning with him.

_**~~Bel~~**_

Bel could barely believe how long it had been since he had been at the Varia House, and it all still looked just like it had the night he had left.

Parking his car against the curb, the blond exited and walked to the house. His hands shook as he turned the knob, his legs feeling like jelly; he was so nervous and yet excited at the same time – nervous that Fran may have moved on or even forgotten all about him, and yet excited just to be able to see him again.

"Fran?" the blond called out as he closed the front door behind him. He walked through the entrance hall and made his way into the living room, hearing the TV.

When Bel caught sight of Fran sitting on the couch, watching the TV, his breath caught in his throat; Fran had become even more beautiful than he had imagined.

The boy's teal hair had certainly grown from all those years ago and it framed his face. Fran's face didn't hold that childish look it once did – it looked much more mature. And his eyes… So… _beautiful…_

"Froggy…" Bel breathed out, frozen in place. His heart sped up when teal eyes turned to fix on him.

Fran blinked, almost unable to believe he wasn't dreaming; after so many years of being unable to cope without Bel by his side… The man had finally returned for him, just as he promised.

"Sen…pai…" Fran knew if he were still as young as he had been when he was with Bel, he would have cried right now. However, after having matured and with the Varia's help, he had learnt how to control his emotions.

Bel was the one to close the distance between them. When he was close enough, he wrapped his arms around the boy, a few loose tears slipping down his cheeks.

"I've missed you so much, Froggy…" Bel whispered. "I love you so much."

Fran's arms – which Bel noticed were still just as skinny and frail as they had been before – returned the embrace. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, a small joking tone evident. "Have you finally realised you're not a prince, Bel-senpai?"

"Ushishishi…" Bel tightened his hold on the younger. "I will always be a prince."

Fran rested his head on the blond's shoulder, sighing happily as he relaxed into the hold. Bel was still the same old self-proclaimed prince.

"Bel~!"

Bel could hear Lussuria running towards him, and he braced himself for the hug he knew was coming.

When strong arms wrapped around him, Bel tensed instinctively before he relaxed, trusting the cook with his body – though he still had a long way to go, he was slowly overcoming his trauma.

"Hello, Luss," Bel greeted calmly. "Are the others here?"

"They all left~ It's just us here." Lussuria released his former charge and stepped back, admiring how handsome Bel had grown in the seven years they had been apart.

Bel's eyes were still obscured by his bangs, but instead of his hair being perfectly straight as if he straightened it every day, it was now spiked in a messy manner – even his bangs which jutted out in opposite directions.

Just as Fran had, Bel had also matured into a very good-looking young man.

"Please, don't let me get in the way of your date~!" Lussuria giggled as he skipped back towards the entrance of the living room, his flamboyant nature shining through. "I just wanted to greet my dear Bel~"

Bel flushed slightly at his plans being called a 'date'. In truth, that was what he wanted, but he didn't want to be the one to bring the subject up – he needed to know Fran wanted their relationship back without feeling pressured in the slightest.

"Fake-prince, are we going now?"

Bel didn't care much for what the younger had called him – he was more concerned as to why everything Fran said seemed to be in a quiet, reserved voice, almost bordering on monotone. He didn't want to draw Fran's attention to this, instead trying to act as if he were offended.

"You're still the same little brat I first met, aren't you?" Bel flicked the boy's nose, a playful grin on his face. "Back to that stage, are we?"

"Senpai, I'm getting bored waiting. Is your birthday present to me supposed to be this boring?"

"Ushishishi, somehow I feel as if you're a bigger brat than before." _But I still love you, Fran. I'll always love you. _"Get in the prince's car; I want to say goodbye to Luss."

"You'd better not kill me with your driving, senpai." Fran was already out of the room by the time Bel realised what he had said.

"Oi!" Bel shouted after the younger, "The prince drives just fine!"

Fran smiled to himself as he closed the front door behind him. _I've missed him so much. It's been so hard without him, but now that he's here… I'm so glad he's back. _

**~~Lunch~~**

Bel had taken Fran to his favourite sushi shop for lunch – will coincidentally was owned and ran by Yamamoto's family. It was nice to have a familiar face to talk to, but the dark-haired male had understood it was important to Bel to be alone with his 'Froggy', taking his leave after wishing Fran a happy birthday.

"Senpai, what have you been doing for all these years?" Fran asked as he poked at his fish, his small tummy already filled. "Lussuria told me Varia supports you financially because fake-prince can't get a job, but nothing else."

"Ushishishi, it's not that the prince can't get a job," Bel lied, his pride not allowing him to admit the truth – no one would hire him with his record, "but that the prince doesn't want one. But the prince has been good. He's…" the blond shifted uneasily, finding it difficult to talk about, "…well, the prince is slowly getting better…"

Fran reached across the table and rested his hands on Bel's wrist. "Squalo told me you don't cut yourself anymore, and it's been a long time since you've attempted suicide."

"I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to you…" Bel's whisper was so sincere, Fran understand immediately that Bel had suffered from the separation just as much as he had.

Fran didn't reply to this – he didn't know _how _to. Today was going so great and he didn't want to ruin things by admitting that he himself had discovered suicidal tendencies while Bel had been gone.

Instead, the two were silent as Bel ate more of his sushi and Fran turned to look out of the window, deep in thought.

The blond didn't force him to speak, understanding that after seven years apart, things would be different.

But when Fran spoke again, Bel couldn't help but notice how sad the boy sounded, the longing in his tone.

"A day wouldn't go by when I wouldn't think of you, senpai…" the soft voice sounded thoughtful, as if he were trying to clarify his own thoughts by speaking. "Lussuria took me to doctors and 'therapists' all the time because I couldn't get out of bed without you… I wouldn't eat, and I was even more reluctant to bathe… It felt as if every single good thing about my life had upped and left with you, senpai…"

Bel dropped his head, understanding that he had hurt the younger – it had hurt him just as much to leave.

"…The doctors gave me pills that they called antidepressants," Fran continued on. "They told me I was depressed. I didn't understand what 'depressed' was until Mukuro sat with me and explained that Chrome was depressed as well. Mukuro promised that if I took my pills every day, I'd feel better in a few weeks."

Turning to look at Bel, a small smile was on Fran's face. "I don't have to take them anymore because the therapists helped me get better – and now that you're back with me, I'm happier than ever."

"Froggy…" Bel felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards as he put his chopsticks down and rested his large hand over the ones still holding onto his wrists. "I… I'm so happy you're better…"

The two watched each other for a few seconds, their hearts simultaneously beating faster – neither of them had ever gotten over their love for the other. What Bel wanted in that moment was to hold his Froggy, kiss and touch away the pain he had inflicted, take away everything that had ever been done wrong to the younger. And Fran… he wanted to tell his senpai how much he was in love with him, what he would give for their lips to press against each other's – to make love together and wash away all his filthiness.

Bel finished his meal only a few minutes later. He stood up and wiped away imaginary dust from his clothing before he spoke to the younger. "Are you ready to leave, Froggy?"

"I was ready a while ago, but we should leave now before you eat the place out of stock." Fran fought to keep the smile that threatened to cross his face at bay.

Bel just laughed, moving to Fran's side and wrapping his arms around the boy's shoulders. "The prince loves you, Froggy."

"I love you, too."

_**~~Nightfall~~**_

By the time Bel drove Fran back to Varia for dinner, neither of them were ready to part from the other.

Bel had had dinner with them, and after they all finished, Fran opened his gift from Bel. It was a do-it-yourself magic kit, and one of the best ones the blond could find, accompanied by an oversized frog hat the blond asked Fran to wear all the time.

Fran was ecstatic and carried the kit upstairs to his room to put with all his other gifts he had received, the frog hat waiting downstairs for its owner to come back for it.

Bel, who remained downstairs with the others, hummed softly to himself as he waited for Fran to join them once more.

"You can take the kid if you want him now, trash."

Bel blinked upon hearing these words from Xanxus. He turned to face the older man, not sure if he should believe those words or not. "…"

"Voii, just take the brat!" Squalo shouted, seeing Bel's hesitance. "You know you want to!"

Lussuria and Tsuna, who were standing together, spoke as well.

"They're right, hun," Lussuria started. "Fran has missed you very much, and he can leave now if he wants."

"And you'd both be happiest if he went with you." Tsuna smiled as he finished his sentence.

It took Bel a mere second to sprint upstairs, wanting to hug and kiss Fran as he asked the younger to come live with him.

Fran, who had just been stepping out of his room, was quickly knocked back inside by a blond blur. He found himself engulfed in a tight hug, and he wondered if this was going to be their parting once more.

Tears welled up in teal eyes at the thought, but when Bel spoke, Fran found himself opening and closing his mouth wordlessly in disbelief.

Bel spoke again, worried his Froggy hadn't heard him. "Froggy? I asked… if you would come live with me…?"

The boy nodded as he crushed his lips against Bel's. Within seconds, he felt long arms come to wrap around him, holding him close as the blond kissed back eagerly. Fran opened his mouth, allowing Bel entrance, and when a hot muscle started probing around his cavern, he moaned.

The two pulled away for air not long later. Bel raised a hand, running his thumb gently across the younger's flushed face.

"Do you still love me…?" Bel whispered. His voice was small, almost as if he were afraid of hearing the answer.

"I never stopped loving you…" Fran whispered back. "I want… to have my first time with you…"

Bel visibly flinched before he spoke in a painful voice. "I already took that from –"

Two fingers rested against pale lips, silencing the blond. "I don't want to remember that time, senpai… I want to make love with you…"

Bel nodded, understanding – there was no reason to bring _that _time up; all that was needed was to wash away his sins by showing the younger just how much he could love.

Picking Fran up in his arms, the man carried him over to the bed he remembered used to belong to him. He briefly wondered if Fran still slept in there, trying to pretend they were still together, before he pushed the thoughts away and laid the boy down on the mattress.

"Senpai…" Fran caught Bel's attention before the older male could do anything. He blushed and looked away as he whispered, "…I… I've never done this before… I'm not… sure of what to do, or what to expect…"

Bel pressed his lips against Fran's in reassurance. "It's okay, Froggy; the prince will take good care of you. Froggy just has to lay there and feel good, okay?"

Fran nodded. He watched as Bel slipped a hand beneath his shirt, and he could remember the times they would pleasure each other with their hands all those years ago. He wondered if it would feel different compared to when he was younger; whenever he would masturbate, it didn't feel the same as it did when Bel had touched him everywhere.

Long fingers played with the boy's nipples, rubbing them to life as the other hand trailed down the side of Fran's body, resting on his hip.

Fran could feel his slight erection building as a hand slipped beneath the hem of his pants, the tip of Bel's thumb rubbing against his slit.

"Senpai…" Fran moaned breathlessly as he closed his eyes, shifting so that he was more comfortable on the bed. He sighed happily as hands caressed his body, feelings he had tried to recreate in his mind finally real after so long.

Bel slid the boy's pants down low enough to reveal the growing shaft. In truth, he was nervous about giving Fran oral sex after everything he had been through, but this was his _Froggy _– there was nothing to fear about Froggy.

Taking a deep breath, Bel opened his mouth as he lowered it around the shaft, going as low as his trauma would allow him to.

Fran's breathing hitched at this – he had never received a blowjob from anyone before, and it felt so _different… _"Bel…senpai…"

Bel kept his hands on Fran's waist, holding him down in case the boy bucked upwards. He stayed still, allowing himself to become used to the fact that this was _Fran _and not his father.

Fran whined softly as he felt a tongue run up the base of his hardened self, feeling his stomach coiling in what he knew was his release.

"Senpai…" Fran's red face had a slight layer of sweat as he tossed his head side to side. "Senpai, it's…"

Bel understood what the boy was trying to tell him, and he eased off the hard shaft. He licked his lips as he leant down for another kiss, the younger only too happy to give him one.

"Are you close?" Bel asked, running his hand through teal hair. The boy nodded, his eyes half-lidded. "Do you know what to call out when you're there?"

"…L-luss didn't… tell me to call anything out…" Fran's breaths came in soft pants, the twitching in his groin begging for attention. "He just… told me it was my… orgasm…"

Leaning forward, Bel nibbled on the boy's ear before he explained, "Call out that you're cumming for me, Froggy. The prince wants to hear you call it."

Fran blushed before he nodded, willing to do anything for Bel.

The blond pulled Fran's red shirt from the younger's body, revealing that same scrawny figure he had known when they were both still young. Fran blushed under the scrutinising gaze of Bel, but he didn't protest when his pants were pulled from his frail body as well.

"Aren't you going to get undressed as well, senpai?" Fran questioned, noticing that the man just stood there, making no move to take off his own clothing.

Bel shook his head, his voice soft as he whispered, "I don't like my body…"

The teal-haired boy understand Bel's hesitance – the man had been like that as a teenager, the scars that marred his flesh from head to toe causing serious self-esteem issues for the blond. He didn't reply, knowing there were no words needed, and instead watched as the man started to suck on his fingers for a few seconds, the erotic scene almost causing an orgasm right there for him.

"I'm going to prepare you now, Froggy," Bel explained as he lowered his hand to the younger's rectum. "Tell the prince if it hurts and he'll stop."

Fran nodded, inhaling in an effort to keep himself calm; he was nervous – scared, almost. He remembered how much it hurt when Bel had forced himself in, but he knew his soon-to-be lover wouldn't hurt him like that anymore. He needed to trust in Bel to make it good for him.

Bel noticed Fran accepted the last two fingers without protest, despite the look of discomfort on the boy's face. He didn't want to hurt Fran, but he knew how much the younger wanted this.

Pulling his fingers out from the boy, the blond whispered, "This may hurt at first, so the prince needs Froggy to relax as best he can. The prince will try his best to make it good for Froggy."

Fran nodded. He could feel the hot tip of Bel's penis pushing slowly inside of him, and it scared him. Clawing at the bed sheets beneath him, the teal-haired boy whimpered.

"Does it hurt?" Bel asked, stilling his movements.

Fran shook his head, fighting to keep tears of fear away. "I… I-I'm scared…"

"Don't be scared," Bel soothed. He leant forward to kiss Fran as gently as he could, trying to help the other relax. "The prince doesn't want to hurt you; he's doing all he can to make it good for Froggy, but Froggy needs to relax first."

Fran nodded, forcing his tense body to calm down. His breathing was quick as he felt the older man start to push back inside of him again, but when a hand wrapped around his wavering erection, he let out a soft moan.

Bel leant forward to kiss the younger again as he took the boy's mind off the pain with his hand. As slow as he could manage, Bel sheathed himself inside the eighteen-year-old, waiting for his Froggy to adjust before he started moving.

"Is it better now?" Bel asked, his hand pumping slowly along the smaller shaft, bringing it back to full hardness. He smiled when Fran nodded, setting the pace at slow, gentle thrusts.

Fran moaned, gripping the sheets beneath him tightly as pain shot through his body. He knew Bel wasn't trying to hurt him, and he hoped that however he was supposed to feel would replace the pain soon.

The blond angled his thrusts, searching for the spot that would make his smaller lover scream in pleasure. He couldn't find it for a seconds at first but, once he hit the last spot he had yet to check, Fran's back arched off the bed as a whimper of pleasure filled the air.

"Does it feel good, Froggy?" Bel asked, hitting the same spot once again experimentally.

"Y-yes…"

Bel smiled as he aimed for that spot over and over again, trying to make it as good for Fran as it was for him – just like Fran, it was also Bel's first time in a consenting position, not wanting anyone but his beautiful Froggy.

Fran whimpered and cried out as he writhed beneath Bel's body, his orgasm overwhelming him as he felt the coil in his stomach burst.

Creamy white fluid sprayed over Bel's striped shirt, but the man didn't complain; he was too busy releasing himself into the body beneath him, the constrictions around his hardened member too much for him to handle.

The two laid panting heavily together as their highs slowly faded. Bel rolled off the smaller body beneath him and laid to the side, pulling Fran into his arms.

Fran curled into the warm body beside him, resting his head beneath Bel's chin as the man groped for the blankets to cover them.

"The prince definitely won't let you go now," Bel whispered, planting a kiss on top of his lover's head.

"I won't complain, Bel-senpai…" Fran whispered, his eyes closing as he battled his exhaustion, not wanting to sleep yet; he still had just one thing he had to ask Bel. "I'll only move in with you on one condition, senpai…"

"What's that?" Bel's hold tightened warily for a second before relaxing, knowing Fran too well to know it would be something cruel.

"…I want a puppy…" Fran was on the verge of sleep, barely coherent to understand Bel's reply.

_A… a dog…? _Bel wanted to say no, but seeing the way Fran struggled to stay awake after having just lost his virginity… How could he say no to such loyalty. "Ushishishi… Only if you buy me a frog."

Fran nodded weakly, the only thing he could do as he fell into oblivion, his chest rising and falling with steadied breaths.

_If he wants a puppy, he can have one, _Bel thought to himself as he, too, closed his eyes. _The prince would do anything for him – that's what a prince does for the one he loves most, after all._


End file.
